


Lost Dreamers

by Darkhymns, SkyWrites



Category: Chrono Trigger
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sexual Content, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Future, Hurt/Comfort, Past Ayla/Kino, Past Crono/Marle, Past Lucca/Robo, Polyamory, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:16:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14401968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhymns/pseuds/Darkhymns, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyWrites/pseuds/SkyWrites
Summary: Ayla, Lucca, and Marle are stranded in the cold dead future. Things are bleak, and they’re not each other’s first choices, but together they can share their hurt.





	1. Dark Mist

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of music to set the tone [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqXQ1lqgK4o)
> 
> For my sake and everyone's sake, Marle is aged up. Actual survival and plot are going to take a bit of a backseat.
> 
> Art is done by my good friend, [Mintkupocream!](https://mintkupocream.tumblr.com/post/173067490494/commission-for-likes-words-and-shrimp-in-honor-of) Please check out her work and [commissions!](https://mintkupocream.tumblr.com/post/167170357639/email-me-at-mintkupocreamoutlookcom-for)

                          

Cold winds blew black air across a dark wasteland. The soil here refused to grow anything, the water refused to quench thirst, the cities refused to stand. This was their future. They huddled inside a crumbling building in silence.

Well, Lucca and Marle did at least.

“Ayla kill!” she shouted, pacing back and forth, clenching and unclenching her fists. “Ayla kill stupid traitor!”

Marle hugged her knees, staying silent. It had been hours. She flinched each time Ayla stomped by, shouting her nearly unintelligible curses and grunts.

“Ayla!” Lucca growled, a frown etched deep into her mouth like the cracked cement around them. “How are you going to kill him, huh!?”

Ayla finally stopped pacing, her fierce eyes meeting with Lucca’s own. “Ayla kill like any other monster! Smash!” She punched her fist into the dirty wall, a small crater appearing around her bloodied knuckles.

Lucca had had enough. “Magus is gone. He stole the Epoch. He could be at any time now, and we’ll never be able to catch him. Don’t you understand?”

Blood dripped from her lips as she continued to bite down in a rage. Ayla had always been able to solve any problem! Any problem could be fixed if you hit it hard enough! But she couldn’t understand this one. She was in a world far different from her own – far, far away from her own. “Ayla… kill!” She howled, but this time, there was less conviction.

“There’s still hope,” Marle said through a sad frown. “Frog and Robo were with him! They could still stop him. They could still, right?” There was desperation in her voice. It only made Lucca angrier.

“They would be here by now,” Lucca said, gritting her teeth. “Robo wouldn’t leave us if it was possible. If they’d defeated Magus, they’d have taken the Epoch back to us in just seconds in our time.”

“Frog and Robo strong!” Ayla countered with her unbeatable logic. “Not die!”

Lucca shook her head, hiding her eyes away behind glasses. “Robo would be here, at least. _If_ Robo had survived. Robo would have waited a thousand years for us. Robo would have known exactly where we were and been waiting here in sleep mode.”

“No, but…” Marle choked on her words. It hadn’t been long since Crono had sacrificed himself to save them all. To save even Magus. Now Robo and Frog too?...

“Lucca!” Ayla switched to all fours, now on eye level with the sitting engineer. She was much too close. “Lucca have stone! Marle have stone! Use glowy thing!”

“You think I didn’t check for that already?!” Lucca growled back, her eyes ablaze against Ayla’s. She motioned to her bag, its contents completely over turned and scattered atop the dirt. “It’s gone. Magus must have swiped the gate key while I wasn’t looking.” She put her head between her knees and screamed. “I was so stupid! So stupid! Why didn’t I check before we left? Why didn’t I make sure?”

Ayla’s eyes widened for a moment of brief realization. But it wouldn’t be that easy to get through to her. She quickly scurried over to the quieter Marle, eyes no longer burning with passion but with pleading. “Marle! Marle have stone!”

She shook her head. A pathetic choking cough came out before she spoke. Water lined her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ayla.” She struggled to speak. Ayla found herself grasping the dirt much too hard. “My pendant is missing, too.” She was the opposite of Lucca. Her words were weak, barely even heard over the blaring winds. “I should have just worn it. I’m such a stubborn idiot. If I wasn’t so desperate to set myself apart from royalty I…” The winds overtook her.  

Ayla nearly tumbled backwards. It finally sunk in. Even for her. “But… how Ayla see Kino?”

Marle looked away. She couldn’t reply.

“You won’t,” Lucca said. “Marle won’t see her dad ever again, either.” Her eyes stayed hidden behind the glare of her glasses, her expression grim. “I won’t see my dad ever again either.” She paused and continued coldly, “Or my mom. That’s just the facts.” The winds continued to howl forlornly.

A small stifled sob broke out. Marle couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

Ayla found herself sitting, staring. Blinking. “But, Kino need Ayla! Village need Ayla!”

Lucca’s tongue spewed an acid she had long felt burning inside her. An acid she had hoped to hide. But there was no point anymore. “Too bad. Everyone needed us. We failed.”

“But!” Ayla continued, grasping for anything. “Magus! Magus want destroy Lavos too! Maybe Magus kill!”

“Certainly doesn’t look like he did well,” Lucca said, staring out into the dark dead lands of their planet.

There was nothing left. “But!” Ayla turned to Marle who refused to look her in the eye anymore. “But!” Her mind reeled. She struggled to think of another option, another way back. 

“Just be quiet.” Lucca sighed, hopeless and defeated.

She did. Few could give orders to Ayla and live, much less actually have her obey. The black winds howled still, ash littering the sky, blowing even into their hovel of a home. After all they had done, after all the sacrifices made, the future refused to change.

Hours passed. It was impossible to tell how many. The sky was always dark. It couldn’t even bleed anymore. It was dead. Ayla’s muscles twitched. Her legs were scarred and battered from her own nails. Like an ancient volcano, without any warning she howled and exploded, dashing out into the ruined world, her tracks already covered in ash.

“Ayla!” Marle cried out, ready to give chase.

“Let her go,” Lucca huffed. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

* * *

Time continued to pass. Marle and Lucca weren’t sure when they fell asleep. Marle hid away in a corner, hoping to keep her tears a secret. Lucca refused to move. Refused to do anything. But her body was more spiteful than her. At some point she had drifted off. Dreaming of home, of Crono, of Frog, of Robo.

A loud squishy thud rudely knocked her out of her dreams, a place she had wished to stay. Marle stirred as well, one hand finding her crossbow. Lucca didn’t even know where she had left her gun.

A mutant. They could smell it before they could see it. Its flesh was putrid and malformed, eyes staring out into nothing. It took them a moment to realize the monster was already dead, a disgusting lump in the disgusting earth.

“Ayla kill!” she shouted, jumping in front of the corpse. Her entire body was a wreck. Her usual blonde hair was drenched in blood, dirt, and ash, tangled and gnarled. She was almost unrecognizable. “Eat!” She shouted confidently, but her labored breaths betrayed all.

“You expect us to eat a mutant?” Lucca said, her voice as hollow as the planet.

“Ayla not die! Ayla not weak!” She glared at Lucca, her eyes gleaming past the blood and grime. “Lucca not weak! Lucca not die! Lucca eat!”

Ayla’s passion and determination were almost palpable. Lucca, for once, found herself at a loss for words.

Marle found them instead. “But, how can we uh… eat that?” Her eyes were red from dried tears.

“Ayla not stupid!” She screeched, tripping over herself as she paced back and forth. “All think Ayla stupid.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid,” Marle said gently, her voice slowly returning to her.

“Ayla not!” She continued, eyes fixated on Lucca who stayed silent. “Ayla know how to make fire. Ayla survive in world already!” Her words were rushed together, meshing in a frenzy.

Marle frowned. Ayla’s leg dragged across the dirt lamely. She couldn’t even move on all fours properly anymore. “Let me at least heal y-”

“Ayla fine!” She shouted, practically falling to the dead earth. She crossed her legs, using her hands to move the unresponsive leg into place, and produced a pile of rotting sticks from her furs. “Ayla feed. Ayla make sure no die.”

“But…”

“No but!” Ayla interrupted, forming the rotting wood into a rather limp and hopeless campfire. “Only food for Lucca and Marle!” She rubbed the sticks together between her gritty palms desperately, grunting and heaving. They merely fell apart in her hands.

She wouldn’t give up.

Again, she pulled out more sticks, each rottener than the last. The two girls wondered where she fit all those, but that wasn’t important. Still, they fell apart uselessly. Nothing even resembling a spark appeared. Her hands were shaking and were slick with blood, unable to even keep a steady grip.

“Let me,” Lucca sighed.

“Ayla can do! Ayla can do!” She wailed.

Like a lighter, she snapped her fingers and flames engulfed the sticks instantly. Any other fire would fizzle out instantly, but Lucca had control. Lucca had focus. She could keep the fire roaring and crackling, so long as she dreamed it. The faint outline of a smile reached the tip of her lips as the warmth soon enveloped them.

Ayla’s furs were bristling. “Ayla would have made fire! Ayla don’t need stupid Lucca!”

Lucca would let that one slide. She knew Ayla was hurt. She knew Ayla was hurt by her too. By what she had said before.

“I’ll cut up the mutant. See if there’s anything even on this thing we can eat. I’ve got a knife in my bag, a little gizmo I made just in case. It’ll cut through whatever this thing is, probably.”

“Ayla can cut!” She yelled again, struggling to get to her feet and failing.

“Come on, Ayla,” Marle said with exasperation. “You’ve done enough, let me heal you at least.”

“Ayla can heal!” She said through muffled tones, kissing the cuts and scrapes on her arms aggressively. It wasn’t very effective.

Marle couldn’t help but let out a small sad giggle at the sight. It was good to know she wasn’t the only stubborn one. She gently offered a hand to Ayla, hoping the cavewoman would choose to accept her help rather than be forced.

Ayla stared at the pale hand. It seemed so soft and weak. But Ayla knew what strength lied inside her. “Ayla sorry,” she mumbled, her rough hand grasping Marle’s.

The two limped away back into the building, Marle holding Ayla’s injured body up with surprising ease. Lucca kept her gaze towards the mutant, trying to ignore the distractions. The wind continued to howl. “I’m sorry, too,” someone muttered. Couldn’t have been Lucca.

* * *

They sat down at a block of rock that maybe once had been called a bed at some point. It was rough, and it didn’t look pretty, but it was stable, and it was just what Marle needed right now. Ayla continued to fuss and whine, but she didn’t leave. “Ayla fine, Ayla help cook.”

Marle shushed her sweetly. “Ayla be quiet so Marle concentrate,” she said, mimicking the cavewoman with a small smile.

Ayla sighed. It was clearly a struggle, but she allowed her muscles to relax finally, practically falling unconscious right away. Marle nearly dropped Ayla when she felt the sudden weight, but she held firmly. Ayla was trying so hard to keep them up, it was the least Marle could do to literally hold her up for a little while.

Marle breathed deep and reached into the pool of magic inside herself.

Tapping into magic was a strange thing. Her entire life, she grew up completely oblivious to it. Then one day, you’re talking to a weird little furry creature at the end of all time, and suddenly you just know! Like it was always there. Just sleeping. That was what she did. She closed her eyes and tried to dream. Dream of a better place.

She felt the sand between her toes. The cool salty breeze of the ocean brushed against her face. Waves lapped delicately against the shore, easing her troubles. Ayla danced and laughed under the sunlight, splashing in the cool ocean water. Marle joined her, forgetting she was fully clothed, forgetting all of that. It didn’t matter.

Her fingers ran through Ayla’s hair, combing out the muck, ash, and sand from the beach. She felt each strand invigorated, soft, yet wild. Long, untamed, and beautiful. It stuck to her frame now. Marle noticed the scrapes and bruises running along Ayla’s arms and shook her head. That was not how her dream went.

They floated under the ocean together, drifting in a silent current, but they had no need for air. Her finger tips gently glided along Ayla’s arms, pressing against the wounds, erasing them from her dream. Ayla let out a sigh of relief, bubbles of grief and sadness escaping her body and away to the surface.

It was soothing for Marle here too. Part of her knew what awaited when she woke up. Part of her wanted to stay asleep, holding Ayla.

She blinked.

Marle jolted back into the waking world, an almost dizzying experience. What in the world was she thinking just then? Fully awake now on this corpse of a planet, she swore she could still hear the waves. Marle listened closely.

Ayla snored away, her lips curled into a relaxed smile. Her body was soaking wet and clean. Her wounds were completely healed. Marle noted that Ayla’s leg was even looking better! But… she didn’t remember healing that, although, it too gleamed with the cool water of her magic.

Gently, very very gently, Marle laid Ayla’s body down atop the old cracked stone. It may not have been comfortable, but she imagined Ayla must have been at least _kind of_ used to sleeping on rock? Hopefully? The stone age woman in question let out a small _snrk_ as she shifted her body to the side, snores practically bellowing out of her now.

She would be okay. Marle repeated to herself. She would be okay.

* * *

The dead continued to scream outside. The winds of their planet howled endlessly, a ghostly wail of what used to be. Marle admitted to herself that she wanted to stay inside with Ayla, stay inside the dream. But it wasn’t a good use of her energy, and it wasn’t fair to Lucca.

Mutant flesh didn’t smell great when it was alive or dead, and it didn’t exactly smell any better being cooked over an open fire. In the time Marle was gone, Lucca appeared to have created a spit roast already, a rotten green chunk of flesh slowly turning over an open flame. Her fire was the only thing alive out here, the only thing that warmed Marle.

“You’re all wet,” Lucca commented, barely sparing her a glance.

Marle nearly jumped out of her skin in embarrassment. She looked down at herself and noticed her own body was dripping with the chill liquid from before.

Lucca sighed. “You should sit by the fire and warm up.”

“Right, uh, of course!” Marle stuttered, practically tripping over herself. She wasn’t sure why she felt so embarrassed. She didn’t have a change of clothes, so maybe she should have been more careful.

Either way, Lucca’s fire soothed her. The dead winds blew, but the flames held fast, refusing to die. She kept close to it, noting it would never burn her. She had lost so much recently. She felt the strangest urge to stick her hand into the firepit. Would it hurt?

“How’s Ayla?” Lucca asked, staring out into the broken city domes in the distance.

“Much better,” Marle said with a faint smile. “She just needs some rest.”

Lucca hid herself behind those glasses again. Something she had been doing since they were stranded here. Marle wanted to scream ‘ _It’s okay!!_ ’ But maybe this wasn’t the right time. Maybe it wasn’t okay for Lucca. Maybe it would never be okay.

“I’ve been thinking,” Lucca started, her gaze still far away. “Or at least… I know you’ve been thinking it,” she sighed.

Marle blinked.                                          

“You’re thinking, ‘why not just build another gate key?’” Lucca said, again that acid from before reaching her tongue. But this time it wasn’t directed at Ayla. It wasn’t directed at Marle either.

“I um, actually didn’t think of that,” Marle admitted with a dopey little laugh, tinged with a dash of self-shame.

Lucca still couldn’t meet her gaze. The flames grew hotter. “Sure.” She paused. “I’m not sure if I can make another one here, though.”

Marle was afraid to ask why. She didn’t want to upset Lucca further. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer either.

Lucca went on anyway. “I don’t have my work station. I don’t have my dad. I don’t think there’s even any usable materials left on this god forsaken planet. I don’t have my plans. I don’t have Robo. I don’t have _anything_ , Marle.”

The fire grew hot, but Marle’s chest felt cold. “Um.” She didn’t know what to say, hands clutching dumbly to her clothes. She needed to grab something, anything.

The spit roast stopped creaking. Lucca’s body seemed to freeze up, unable to keep turning the crank. The flames went dark, the crying winds overtook them.

Maybe Lucca had heard enough words. Maybe there was enough thinking and thinking going on inside her head. Words wouldn’t help anymore, Marle decided. Not right now. Take some advice from Ayla.

She grasped Lucca’s limp hand and held it tight. Lucca’s eyes finally met hers, no longer hidden behind the glare of her frames. There was a deep sadness there, a window to her past that none were meant to see. A shame that even Marle could not understand.

“Let me help with that for now,” Marle said as Lucca quickly retreated her hand away. And just like that, it was gone. The glare of her glasses returned. Hidden.

“Thanks. I’ll be able to focus on the fire better this way.” She sat down like a pile of rocks weighed down on her skull, gazing into the flames as if it held the secret of their escape.

Marle wished she could heal Lucca’s wounds the way she did Ayla’s. She felt so useless. Both pushed themselves to their absolute limit, and she couldn’t even offer a word of comfort. She was never fit to be a princess, much less a helpful member of society. How was she expected to help them now? When everything was gone?

She held onto the warmth of the fire. It was all she had now.


	2. Aura

Fire came easy to her. Lucca’s dreams were often riddled with spite and anger. Often at times they were nightmares, but that didn’t matter. She could use those nightmares, use that anger and pain well. Use it to kill monsters, kill those that tried to hurt her friends. She often dreamt of her home, burning down, smoke choking her lungs. Her mom couldn’t escape.

Lucca shook her head, denying that dream.

The flames were too hot, it was burning the meat. However disgusting it would be, she might as well not make it any worse. At least for the sake of Marle and Ayla. She had already screwed up enough! The least she could do was keep a good fire going. _At least do that right!_

She needed to calm down. So many things burned in her skull, so many thoughts, so many plans, all on fire, all burning down to the ground, all failed and turned to ash. She couldn’t keep up.

Deep breaths.

She thought of Marle now. Something here. Something now. Her touch was cold, but gentle. It slowed the fires, at least for a moment. Her eyelids drooped slightly as she allowed herself to dream. She wasn’t in this hellhole anymore.

A quiet snow replaced the howling ash of this time. The world was silent, covered in a soft chill blanket. Lucca made camp inside a cozy log cabin in the woods, fire crackling in delight. Marle offered a hot chocolate. She could almost taste it. Almost. She allowed herself to believe, allowed herself to feel the warmth spread through her. Marle sat with her around the fireplace, a warm wool blanket wrapped around her slender frame and a steaming cup of cocoa in her hands. She smiled.

“How are your clothes doing?” Lucca asked, keeping the dream close.

Marle made that dopey face of hers again, as if she got caught asleep. “Oh! Actually, I seem to be getting nice and dry now! The fire really helped.”

She allowed herself a small smile. “That’s good.”

A voice boomed from outside the cabin. “Ayla cold!” She shouted with a shiver, slamming the wooden door behind her.

Marle giggled again. A sweet sound in such a dreary environment. “Looks like someone’s finally up.”

“Gee, I wonder who?” She was sarcastic, but not spiteful this time. It felt a little better.

Ayla soon appeared on all fours, her furs bristling and dripping with moisture. Her usual poofy hair stuck against her almost… beautifully? Lucca was surprised the cavewoman had the capacity to be attractive.

“Ayla cold!!” She repeated, just in case they were not aware. She scampered before the fire, shaking the water clear from her furs and her hair like a wet dog. Lucca braced herself, but Marle wasn’t so lucky. Again, she found herself drenched.

“Ah, guess I deserved that huh?” Marle said with a groan. “I’m more adept at cold water than warm. I probably shouldn’t have left you in there all wet.”

It wasn’t long before Ayla’s hair poofed back out again, a great big smile on her face. “Ayla okay! Fire warm.” Without hesitation she began slipping out of her furs, leaving her body completely in the nude.

“Ayla!” Marle squeaked, looking to the side. “What are you doing?!”

She tilted her head. “Wet fur bad wear. Give cold. Ayla not dumb!” She shook her head stubbornly.

Lucca waved it off, noting the fire felt a little hotter than she intended. “She’s right, you know. Besides, we’re all women here, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”

“See!” Ayla nodded with pride, sitting bow-legged in front of the fireplace. “Ayla not dumb!”

Marle appeared as if she were about to pout but changed her mind. “Well, I don’t have another change of clothes, and I am _not_ going nude!”

“Marle get cold!”

“I don’t care!”

“Marle not make sense!”

“ _Marle_ not care!”

Lucca couldn’t help but smirk at their argument. For the moment she was still that cabin, away from all this. Away from all her troubles. She knew it wasn’t real. It would never be real. But she had to take what she could get. At least she could fool herself into thinking it wasn’t so bad for now.

* * *

The meat was disgusting. As she’d figured. It was too tough, like biting into a living rhino, but it stank like rotting eggs. Marle had to run away to wretch more than a couple times. Lucca couldn’t believe she was able to swallow it and not vomit out her organs. Maybe she would later.

“Meat not very good,” Ayla said casually, gulping down a piece with ease. “But Ayla eat. Ayla not die. Ayla think probably not poison.”

“Gee, glad you’re confident on that end,” Lucca sighed.

Marle returned from her third break. “I already miss ice cream,” she whined pathetically, staring at the oozing flesh.

“Marle like eyes cream? Ayla no like. Marle can have,” Ayla said, offering up one of the mutants yellowed eyeballs.

The poor princess turned a green shade darker than Frog. Once again, she sped off into the crumbling building, away from the noxious stink of their meal. If their situation hadn’t been as bad as it was, Lucca would have laughed. Lucca would have challenged Ayla to a duel to eat this disgusting thing even! But that was before. When she wasn’t trapped.

She could imagine it. Robo here with her. She’d describe the taste, the way it made her gag, the utter disgust she felt swallowing it. ‘ _Why would you eat such a thing then, Lucca?’_ He’d surely ask. _Because, Robo! When you’re a human, you try new things! Just because you want to! Good or bad, I’m glad I experienced it! Hahaha!_

Her chest hurt. What became of him?

“Lucca.” A gruff voice shook her out of her melancholy. Ayla sat before her on all fours again, like a proud lion.

She snapped out of it. Ayla’s piercing stare met hers. It saw too deep. It saw things she didn’t want anyone to see.

“What?” Lucca grunted, irritated.

“Lucca strong,” Ayla said with a nod. “Lucca eat gross food good.”

“Barely.”

“It okay,” Ayla continued, a strange gleam in her eye. “Get easier. Ayla promise.”

Somehow, someway, her words lightened Lucca’s chest. She didn’t feel quite so empty. She felt a small smile creep on her lips again, a choke in her throat and-

“ _Oh god_!” She cried, turning away to vomit.

Ayla patted her back the whole way, her touch strangely gentle. “It okay! Lucca do good still!”

“Not… really…”

* * *

 

Ayla was a simple woman. She was not stupid she told herself. She couldn’t speak as well as Marle or Lucca, but she knew what she wanted, and she knew what she needed. The mutant “dinner” was complete, or at least as complete as it could possibly be. Marle did not eat enough. In fact, she probably vomited more than she ate. Lucca did not eat enough either, but she would be okay. Ayla knew. She was a chieftain after all. Managing the survival of fellow humans was her job.

So maybe to them, Ayla seemed like a brute. Maybe Ayla was a brute! But Ayla knew some things. She knew important things. Important things that needed to be said!

“Ayla thirsty!” she shouted, content with making her intelligent assertion.

Lucca, of course, was the first to respond. Her eyes, so sad, so lonely, tried to show off a look of annoyance. But Ayla knew better.

“Yeah, well we don’t have any water.”

“Have water!” Ayla argued, knowing Lucca would say that.

Marle tilted her head. She was a good girl, but maybe a little slow to realize her own potential. “Oh? Did you find water Ayla? Or did you save some from… before.” Her eyes grew sad. There was too much sadness. Ayla didn’t want it anymore. She couldn’t take it anymore.

Ayla shook her head. “Marle water,” she said, pointing confidently at Marle. It was times like these she wished she could speak like them. She understood them! _Almost_ all the time! But when she tried to speak… It didn’t come out right. It didn’t come out like them.

“Of course! Of course!” Marle smiled, clasping her hands together. “I, um, really should have thought of this before.”

Lucca frowned. She was completely aware of this the whole time. Yet she didn’t speak up. _Why?_ Lucca was so smart! Smarter than anyone! Even smarter than Ayla’s muscles! But why did she not speak up? Ayla had seen it in her tribemates before. Was it merely pride?

“So! Let’s get us some drinks!” Marle paused, blinking. “Um… We don’t have any cups with us, do we?”

Lucca tried to hide her face again. “Yeah, I didn’t think to pack cups.”

 _Rah!!_ _These two always talk talk talking!_ _Just use your hands!_

“Hand!” Ayla shouted, frustrated with her inability to speak. She mimed drinking from her own hand and pointed at Marle again.

“Oh, I, um, I guess I could do that,” Marle said sheepishly.

Lucca turned away stubbornly, making Ayla’s blood boil. “You guys get something to drink. I’m not thirsty.”

 _Why!? You need to drink water to survive! You’re strong, Lucca, why won’t you drink!? The strong don’t die! I won’t let you die!_ These weren’t necessarily her exact thoughts. These were her own words, what she felt inside. When she tried to express herself vocally, it often came as those broken grunts. It frustrated her to no end.

Marle frowned. She also knew Lucca was thirsty. Anyone would be thirsty after what they just ate! But she wouldn’t say it. “Okay. Just let me know if you need something to drink, okay?”

“Sure.”

_Stop lying!_

Maybe this would be like training a wolf to eat. Sometimes a stubborn wolf won’t eat the food given to him. At times like this, Ayla would just bring another wolf that she knew would eat and feed that wolf right in front of the other! The other wolf would get so jealous and so mad, Ayla couldn’t stop him from eating!

“Ayla thirsty!” she pressed on, demanding. She would show Lucca. Well, she also _was_ pretty thirsty.

“Okay. Let me see what I can do,” Marle said with a determined nod. “It might be a little cold. Erm, a lot cold.”

“Ayla like cold water.” _Plus, you already drenched me in cold water before! I can handle it._

She was slightly hesitant. Marle placed the tips of her fingers delicately under Ayla’s lips. “All right. Open up. Uh, sorry if I splash you again.”

“Is ‘kay,” Ayla said with her mouth agape.

Marle’s eyes closed then, her face turning into the peaceful expression of one asleep. Ayla couldn’t help but stare, amazed. She had never seen or felt anything like it. The tips of Marle’s fingers tingled with a strange energy, a very cool energy that sent waves of relaxation through Ayla’s jaw and down her stomach. Next thing she knew, pure water was splashing into her mouth, refreshing Ayla’s body and spirit. For some odd reason, she pictured a babbling brook in the middle of the woods in spring.

As she drank, she felt more and more of Marle’s fears and sadness seep into her throat. An old man Ayla had never seen before stood at the river, covered in many brightly colored furs and a shiny stone hat atop his head. The brook suddenly turned to ash, and Ayla tasted it, sputtering the water out with a cough.

“I’m sorry!” Marle cried out, tentatively reaching for Ayla. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, quieter.

“Is okay! Water good!” Ayla coughed. She knew Marle tried her best. She didn’t understand magic, and she never would, but it couldn’t have been easy to control. For once, Ayla felt powerless. Useless. Maybe if she could learn magic, things would be easier for them! But she was too stupid.

Something tugged her hand. She felt that gentle touch again, the same one that healed her wounds, the same one that took her to the water at the end of the world.

“Ayla not die!” She yelled with conviction. Words of wisdom, surely.

“Ayla not die,” Marle repeated with a sweet smile.

But she wasn’t done yet. Lucca started from the glare of her glasses, trying to pretend she wasn’t interested.  

“Water Lucca!”

“Huh?!” Lucca grunted. “No, I told you already. I’m fine!”

“Lucca stupid! Thirsty! Drink!” _I’ve seen you drink at our celebrations back at home! You love drinking!_

She gritted her teeth. “ _You’re_ calling me stupid?!”

 _Yes!_ Ayla nodded. Sometimes a stubborn wolf just needs to be challenged.

“Oh, fine!” Lucca threw her hands into the air. “I’ll drink, all right?”

Marle hesitated, absentmindedly fingering the folds of her clothes. “I’ll try to be more careful.”

“It’s,” Lucca sighed, defeated. “It’s fine. It’s already been a day hasn’t it? More than that. I can’t tell here.” Again, Ayla witnessed that despair and hopelessness wash over her. The words tumbled out of Lucca like a bag of stones. “I actually am really thirsty.”

Those two were so strange together. Ayla knew they shared a bond. A bond similar to tribemates, people who have hunted and protected each other. But why did they struggle against that?

“Uh, raise your head a little,” Marle said sheepishly, preparing her magic.

“Right.”

For some odd reason, Ayla got the strangest feeling that she shouldn’t be watching. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away.  

Marle closed her eyes again, her fingertips just below Lucca’s lips. Lucca closed her eyes too, and both turned as red as lava. Lucca gulped down the fresh water, her color almost visibly brightening. Dry lips regained their moisture, and she seemed so at peace. Ayla wondered if she experienced the same picture in her head.

That peaceful expression didn’t last long. “I’m gfuugpffht!” Lucca said, mouth full, water spilling down her chin.

Marle let out an embarrassed laugh, but this time there wasn’t as much shame. “Sorry.”

“No, it was good. Never thought I’d be praising the taste of water, but it was good.” Lucca nodded, wiping her chin. “Really good. I needed that.”

Ayla blinked. Hypnotized.

They smiled to each other, a brief light in this dead world. “Just let me know from now on if you’re thirsty, okay?”

“I will, I will,” Lucca sighed. “Although maybe soon we should leave and start looking for cups or bottles or… anything.”

She frowned. “That would probably be best, wouldn’t it?”

Something rang out in Ayla’s skull, screamed like one of her flying dinosaurs. “Leave!? Friends could return! Friends maybe look here!”

That cold logical stare returned to Lucca much too easily. “I don’t think they will, Ayla. Like I said before, if they haven’t already come back they…” she paused, the words difficult. “They won’t be back. Ever.”

Ayla didn’t understand! Why did she just give up!? “Friends fly on dactyls maybe! Far, Ayla know! Still chance!”

But even Marle wasn’t optimistic about this plan. Ayla’s heart sunk. Her frown alone said everything that needed to be said. “I’m sorry, Ayla. The dactyls won’t work like that.”

Ayla grit her teeth again, tasted blood, felt blood in her hands. Maybe she really was stupid. She wanted to scream! Scream like the dinosaurs! Her friends would hear, they would come and prove Marle and Lucca wrong!

“We should get some rest,” Lucca said, staring at Ayla. “I think that would be best for now.”

Ayla stayed quiet. The winds screamed enough for her. She did not need to make it any more painful for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are a little sad right now. They always will be, but it'll get better. 
> 
> If you want something happier, try out [Darkhymns fic ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429274), which I've adopted to be a little bit like a prequel, or at least there will be extremely minor references to it.


	3. Napalm

They didn’t sleep well.

When Marle closed her eyes, she saw pictures of Crono. Pictures of her father. Her last memory had been screaming at him, storming out of the castle. He too had screamed back horrible hurtful things. She was angry still, even now, angry that he treated her this way. She had every right to be angry! But she didn’t want that to be their final moments, her final memory.

There was nothing she could do.

There were no blankets or pillows in this crumbling building. Marle could only rest against her arms on the cold dead dirt. Ayla, at least, seemed more adept at this kind of living. She didn’t seem exactly comfortable either, but her furs seemed well suited for sleeping in a pinch. She simply removed her top and rested her head upon it, uncaring of who saw what. Marle considered following suit, but she knew her clothes would have provided little comfort.

Ayla still did not appear to have a good rest. She tossed and turned, growling and grunting, clawing at her own skin and hair. She heard the faint whimpering of “Kino” throughout. Marle’s heart ached.

Lucca wasn’t much better. Her only comfort was the bag she carried, lumpy and full of trinkets that she had worked on for mere hobbies. She didn’t toss and turn at least. She just lay still and quiet, facing away. At times, Marle worried she wasn’t breathing, but she was too afraid to check up on her.

Marle’s stomach growled and groaned, pestering her, mocking her. The meat did not stay down. She heard her stomach’s voice. ‘ _You are a princess! You are too good for this disgusting meal! You were never meant to be anything but spoiled royalty. You won’t survive here_.’

The water helped, at least. Fooled her for a moment into thinking she was satisfied. But a worry burrowed deep inside her like a parasite. When will she run out of energy? When will she eventually fail to make water for herself, for Lucca and Ayla? This was all she could do.

She couldn’t tell how much time had passed. No matter how many hours, no matter how many days went by, it was always still the same. Pitch black outside. Dead. Pathetically, she still hoped maybe one day the sun would appear, just for a moment. She held onto this optimism, despite her best efforts to rid of it. The sun would not come. The hope only hurt her.

Marle wasn’t sure when Lucca woke up. “Did you get any sleep?” Lucca asked, sitting against the wall. Dark lines cut under her eyes.

“Not much,” she admitted.

“Me neither.”

Lucca’s reply was simple, obvious even, but somehow it made Marle feel slightly better. At least she wasn’t alone. Maybe she was foolish, but the only thought that terrified her more than spending the rest of her life on this cold dead planet was spending it by herself. She could have just as easily been stranded here by herself. _No, no, don’t think about that. Be happy Lucca and Ayla are here. Try to._

Ayla had gotten up at some point too. “Ayla sleep,” she lied, rubbing her eyes. “Ayla feel better.” She couldn’t even fool herself.

Lucca carried on. Much like how she slept, she was still, almost unbreathing. A husk of herself. “We’re near the Proto Dome,” she said. “I… remember telling Robo to stop near there while we were on the way to the Sun Stone.” She remained breathless and empty. “I wanted to check around for any interesting parts since we were in the area.”

“Ayla remember. Ayla want stretch legs, so Ayla come too.”

“Frog and…” she paused. “Robo offered to stay behind. Watch the Epoch. I asked you to join me, Marle.”

She knew where this was going. “I wanted to-”

“I’m sorry.”

“Lucca, it wasn’t your fau-”

“Please don’t lie to me.”

Words wouldn’t come to Marle. It was too difficult to argue with Lucca. She spent hours arguing with herself no doubt, hours arguing in her head, hearing every possible retort. She didn’t know what she could possibly say that Lucca hadn’t already thought of.

Ayla wasn’t afraid to challenge her, however. “Magus fault! Magus steal!”

Lucca, of course, was prepared for that. She opened her mouth.

“Why Magus steal?!” Ayla shouted, her furs bristling, her fists clenched. “Ayla knew Magus not trust! Ayla knew! Ayla didn’t speak up. Stupid Ayla, stupid!”

This caught Lucca off guard. Ayla generally caught many off guard. “I… hm.”

“Why Magus steal?” Ayla asked again, desperate to understand.

“He was a selfish man,” Lucca answered, her cold calculating stare returned. “That much was obvious. He would do anything to reach his goals. He needed the Epoch to find his sister. That was all he cared about. He must have taken your pendant and my key to make sure we wouldn’t interfere.”

Ayla’s lips were bleeding again. “Ayla stupid! Stupid! Knew not trust!” Again, she grunted and growled and howled.

Lucca silenced her. “We were all stupid.”

Marle didn’t speak up, but at least she could agree on that.

“We were too trusting,” Lucca continued, shaking her head. But she saw Ayla’s anger, her pain. Maybe she couldn’t stop insulting herself for her own sake, but she would for Ayla’s. “That… that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Ayla calmed down, choosing instead to sit in uncharacteristic silence. Her usual fidgeting lessoned. She was too tired.

“I think we should move for the Proto Dome today, explore for some supplies,” Lucca said. “It shouldn’t be far.”

“But!” Ayla couldn’t help it. “If friends come?...” She sounded defeated before she even finished her sentence.

“They won’t,” Lucca said in that deathly still voice of hers.

Winds continued to howl.

“Ayla not understand,” she said after a long pause. “But Ayla believe Lucca.”

“Sorry, Ayla,” was the only thing Lucca could say before continuing. “I don’t know if there will be anything left in the Proto Dome. It might be completely picked clean. It might be crawling with enemies. But, I don’t think we can live out here. I don’t think we will survive long here.”

“Ayla agree,” she said with a stern nod. “Lucca smart.”

Marle didn’t want to live here, though. She didn’t want to live anywhere here on this planet. They looked to her, awaiting her confirmation. She knew it was useless to try and stay here in the middle of nowhere. But she also feared what else awaited them.

“I don’t think we have any other choices,” Marle said, defeated.

“Then I think we should move as soon as possible.” A pause. For just a moment, that husk of Lucca vanished. “I, uh, I think we could use some water before we go though.”

“Ayla thirsty, too. Need watering.”

She felt the glimmer of a smile. It wasn’t much, but she could help them. At least for now.

* * *

Their trek was a quiet one. Save for the ghostly howls of wind. Marle was starting to truly feel the effects of her empty stomach, of her lack of sleep, lack of everything. Her body ached, her legs trembled, and it was all she could do to carry her crossbow close by her side. They had to keep their weapons ready.

Out in the distance she saw them. The spawn of Lavos. Parasitic bugs almost as tall as the crumbling skyscrapers, their shells looking like massive pointed mountains in the distance. Moving mountains. They terrified her. Terrified her to think, she now lived on this world with them. More than one. From so far away the Lavos spawn did not notice them, or perhaps they simply didn’t care. They had sucked the world dry already, what did it matter what a few ants did?

Looming just below the dark clouds she recognized the Black Omen as well. The only structure left undevastated. A massive thing made of spite, casting its dark shadow on an already dark world. She remembered the Black Omen always being there. Her entire life it loomed in the sky, floating for millions of years. It was a strange thing that was simply accepted, similar to the giant white rock floating past the clouds. The moon.

However, the moon didn’t fill her with a sense of terror, the moon didn’t cast darkness upon them. The moon was truly always there, even if she would never see it again. In the back of her mind, she knew the Black Omen was a recent thing, an anomaly of nature. More so an abomination. It forced itself onto the planet, into its inhabitants lives and minds, burrowing into their consciousness whenever they dared look to the sky. Much like Lavos, it was a disgusting parasite.

Did Queen Zeal still hide among the darkness up there after all these millions of years? Was she satisfied in her madness for immortality? Satisfied that she had destroyed all life for her own? Or was she simply a parasite as well? Something without thought anymore. Only hunger.

It was too much.

* * *

Marle remembered the Proto Dome. She could tell Lucca remembered it too. Her movement had become stiffer, more sluggish, as if she carried an invisible weight on her chest. This was where they first fixed and met Robo.

They never explored much of this dome. There wasn’t a need before. It was completely abandoned of all human life after all. The structure was huge too, like a giant broken snow globe, forever bleeding its contents out into the world. The glass shields that once protected them from the elements were now shattered and sharp, dangerous even.

Empty streets paved the way through cracked broken buildings. Holes littered and punctured the asphalt, advising more caution here than even the poisoned dirt outside. Machinery and wonders Marle had never known lay before them now in ruins. Streetlights dangled over the ground, lifeless, like strange hung corpses. It saddened her to think she would probably never understand their function or their purpose. Maybe Lucca would know, at least. That gave her some small comfort.

Ayla clearly didn’t like it here. While it was foreign to Marle, this city and its structures were even more so to a woman who lived 65 million years ago in simple huts and caves. Her eyes darted right and left, her fists stayed permanently clenched. None of it made sense to her. Where she lived in the trees and the mountains created by nature, these tall concrete structures replaced. They were so close together, packed with so many homes, taller than the mountains back at her time. Anything could be hiding in them.

Leaders are often born due to strange or terrible circumstances. For now, it seemed Lucca felt it was her responsibility to lead. Marle could still see that guilt. At least she kept her gun at the ready now. When they had first become trapped, Lucca often misplaced it, or purposefully forgot it. It made Marle too sad to think on it any further.

Lucca lead them through what appeared to be abandoned stores and markets. Seemed most shelves were already looted, or the mutants had gotten to it first. Three hundred years of death and stagnation left little. Little but corpses of those long gone, rotting bones from a time Marle so desperately missed. It was a terrifying sight, but one she was already becoming accustomed to.

But they wouldn’t give up. Not yet at least.

* * *

“Guys!” Lucca said in a hushed tone. There were no enemies yet, but she was still careful. “I found something!”

It was a rare moment of joy in her voice. It lifted Marle’s spirits. She and Ayla quickly gathered around Lucca in the dimly lit aisles, smelling of rust and ash. Lucca hid her face still, but this time it was different. There was very clearly a smile.

“What find?” Ayla asked impatiently, never one able to handle Lucca’s dramatics.

With a bit of flair, she twirled around and held open her find for all to see. A rusty old can covered in dust. It had looked like Lucca tried to polish it just seconds before revealing it, but the can refused. “Check it out!”

Ayla tilted her head in confusion, her scarf tail wagging lightly in the hushed breeze. “Lucca find rock.” She stared hard, trying to ascertain its ancient secrets. “Why Ayla care?”

Oh, Lucca had clearly expected that response. Her smile grew wider, and it filled Marle with a strange tingling sensation in her chest. It was a good feeling. Lucca’s confidence was always a beautiful thing, but she never quite appreciated it until it was gone.

“Not just any stone, my dear Ayla,” Lucca said, wagging a finger. “It’s a stone - uh, can of beans!”

Ayla’s head remained tilted. “What bean?”

“Better than mutant meat, that’s for sure,” Lucca groaned. “Even if these beans are probably a couple hundred years expired.”

Ayla’s eyes brightened with understanding. Lucca’s glowing confidence was infectious. Marle couldn’t help but smile along with them. “Food?” Ayla asked.

“Yep!” Lucca nodded. Usually it was times like these she let out her egomaniac laugh, but… Maybe she wanted to be quiet? Maybe she wasn’t ready yet. “Tonight, we dine like princesses!”

Marle allowed herself a quiet laugh. Lucca’s eyes burned with renewed passion. Maybe it was a little forced, Marle admitted, but she was trying. That was all they could hope for.

“I know it’s not much,” Lucca said, adjusting her glasses, smile mostly gone. “But it’s something. By all reason, it means there’s more food here. At least a little. And with the rest of the humans being miles and miles away, it’s less likely everything was looted over the years.” There was that cautious side, again. At least it was optimistic.

“Ayla understand.” She nodded. “Like finding one banana in forest far away from tribe. Ayla keep looking and find whole bunch of bananas! All for Ayla.”

Marle’s stomach rumbled and grumbled like one of the waste’s mutants. She smiled sheepishly, embarrassed.

“No worry,” Ayla said with that great big smile of hers. “Ayla share with Marle.”

“I also spotted a building that looked like an inn,” Lucca continued, thinking. “Probably like a hotel or something. It seemed sturdy enough. I think if we went up to one of the higher floors, we could look out the window and get a better view of our surroundings, and we’d be less likely to run into enemies.”

Marle felt that flicker of hope in her chest once again. Lucca planned ahead where Marle simply thought of the now. Her resourcefulness truly gave Marle hope. Maybe things wouldn’t go back to the way they were, but maybe it could get better. Maybe.

“That sounds great, Lucca!” Marle beamed.

Ayla slapped the ground excitedly. “Lucca smart! Lucca smart!”

Lucca’s nose had appeared to grow itchy, or maybe her face just had some sort of rash? “Ah, well, you know me, I _am_ a genius after all.” Again, it came out so close to the old Lucca. So close. But Marle still sensed that sadness there. “Come on, let’s go.”

* * *

Concrete creaked under its weight, it’s flesh oozing and bubbling onto the asphalt. What remained of its many eyes glared at them, no hint of intelligence left, simply a hunger it couldn’t satisfy. Ayla stood before the mutant, growling and huffing, but it made no impression. The mutant couldn’t even offer the most basic animalistic instincts.

“Knew it was too good to be true.” Lucca cursed under her breath. They had all hoped maybe there would be less monsters here.

“Ayla kill gross thing before! Ayla kill again!” She shouted, rolling away from its clambering appendages.

Marle readied her crossbow alongside with Lucca’s gun. Quickly they scanned the area, making sure there were no other threats. Behind them, on the opposite side of the street, a glint of yellow glowed, shining against the dark colorless lands. Lucca froze in place. It was coming closer.

Soon it’s outline was visible. It jogged towards them hurriedly, pumping its robotic arms as fast as it could. Marle still kept her weapon at the ready, but Lucca had already dropped hers. She ran forward, despite Marle’s small protests.

“Robo? Robo, is that you?” Lucca cried out over the wind. Marle’s heart was in her throat. Ayla kept the mutant at bay, but Lucca was clearly in danger.

“GREETINGS, FELLOW HUMANS,” the robot screeched, much too happily. It wasn’t Robo. Marle knew it couldn’t have been. Lucca’s expression said it all once she heard its voice box.

It was an R-Series, just like Robo was. To be expected, surely. Many of them were produced before, and maybe still in production even now. It was nearly identical to Robo in every way, except this one was rusty and jagged, paint chipping off across its body.

“Lucca, come back!” Marle found herself screaming, finally able to speak again.

It took her a moment. A moment too long, but she obeyed, quickly returning to Marle’s side, gun at the ready. “That’s not Robo,” Lucca said to herself quietly, cursing her stupidity. “That’s not Robo.”

“THANK YOU FOR FINDING ME! I SHALL REWARD YOU WITH A QUICK ELIMINATION.” Its arm was broken and twisted, fist crumpled and broken into a sharp wicked edge. To Marle, it was obvious this wasn’t their old friend.

“Ayla kill soft squishy mutant!” Ayla shouted as she kicked what could be consider the mutant’s face. “Lucca Marle kill stone man! Hurt to punch!”

Lucca didn’t reply. Her eyes were fixated on the R-series coming closer. Again, she was breathless.

It looked like Marle would need to take the lead here. “Okay, Ayla!” she shouted. She turned to Lucca. “I’ll freeze it, and you shoot, okay? With it frozen, it shouldn’t be able to get near, and it’ll break apart easier.”

Lucca paused. Her finger twitched. Their eyes met, but Marle couldn’t see them. “Okay,” she said with a tiny nod, barely a movement.

She had to trust Lucca. She wouldn’t be able to destroy it on her own. “That’s not Robo, Lucca,” Marle whispered to her before closing her eyes.

“I know.” But she barely heard it over the wind.

Marle quickly allowed herself to dream. This world, this awful world, it was already dead, wasn’t it? Already cold and dead. It took everything away from her, took everything away from everyone. If it was to be a desolate wasteland, then let it be a wasteland by her hand! She dreamt of terrible blizzards, a cold which bit through flesh and steel alike. Hail storms brought down ice chunks into the land, destroying the already crumbling buildings, stopping any monster or robot in their tracks. Marle felt that cold inside her as well, burning inside her belly. They would feel what she felt! They would suffer her pain!

The robot’s legs were stuck to the asphalt, frozen by harsh magic. It struggled and screeched, electricity shooting out from its already exposed veins. An easy target for a talented markswoman.

“Lucca, now!” She shouted, holding the dream still, her heart as cold as could be.

But nothing happened. Marle turned in her frigid world, turned to Lucca in the dream. She was frozen still, finger on the trigger, shivering. No, no! What happened? Had Marle accidently frozen her too?! She opened her eyes, reality’s wind blowing away her frost and ice quickly.

No, Lucca wasn’t frozen in cold. Marle hadn’t hurt her. But the robot wasn’t frozen anymore either. The R-series had quickly dashed upon them, and it targeted the only threat it saw. Marle. It thrust its sharpened metal arm toward her face, cutting through her flesh with ease. Marle had managed to avoid the brunt of the blow, but she felt warmth trickling down her cheek.

She had no time to ready her magic anymore, no time to ready her crossbow either! It was already attacking again, but this time-

Metal boiled and melted, plates exploding off its body. Electricity and oil fumed together as the robot toppled over like the rusted pile of scrap it was, a distinct red hot glowing hole where its head used to be. It was no longer functioning.

Lucca’s gun smoked, her eyes finally visible behind the glasses, tears clouding everything. Her body shook with muffled sobs, nearly choking herself as she tried to restrain her misery and guilt. It was too much. There was nothing hidden anymore. Lucca sped off to the nearest skyscraper without a word, again leaving her weapon behind.

“Wait, Lucca!” Marle shouted. But she didn’t hear, or she refused to hear. Lucca wouldn’t even turn around, quickly disappearing into the dark depths of the old building.

A loud meaty thump reached her ears as Marle witnessed the mutant topple over, dead. Finally free of its misery, free of this future. She almost felt envious. Ayla emerged from the battle victorious, although again she was badly bruised. Still, this did not stop her for a moment. Like a wild animal, she sprinted toward Marle on all fours screaming. “Marle hurt! Ayla help!”

She had already forgotten about the wound on her face. Dumbly, she pressed a finger against the sore area, staring at the blood, almost unsure. It took her a moment to process what was about to happen. Quickly she snapped out of it and shook her head. “No, no, Marle fine, don’t worffghnm!”

Her mouth was soon full of Ayla’s, lips tingling with an aggressive electricity. She didn’t struggle. Somehow, she felt her pain fading away. Her cheeks remained warm, but no longer because of blood. She never quite understood how Ayla’s kisses could do this, considering the cave woman couldn’t control any magic of her own, but for now, she welcomed it.

It was over before it had begun. Ayla bruised face stared harshly into Marle’s breathless one. “Where Lucca?! Lucca hurt!?”

Attempting to get her bearings together, Marle felt her cut again. Only a small scratch remained, most of the blood had vanished. “She, uh,” Marle breathed out, lightheaded. “No. No she’s not hurt physically, but she ran off into the big inn.”

Ayla clenched her fists. “By self!? No take weapon!?” Her eyes stared hard into Marle’s, the look of concern overwhelming. She couldn’t bear to meet that gaze.

“She was crying,” Marle muttered pathetically, ashamed of herself.

Ayla blinked, staring like it was obvious. “Marle talk Lucca!”

Still she stared at the darkened asphalt. “I… I don’t know what to say to her. I don’t know the right words.”

There was a low growling. “Ayla know. Lucca think too much.” She paused, her voice quieting. “Ayla stupid. Can’t talk.”

For once, Marle grew a spine and returned her gaze. Ayla’s eyes were sad and dark, filled with an inner frustration. She yearned so much to speak, didn’t she? Marle understood that feeling well, felt a strange wordless connection with her.

She didn’t want Lucca to suffer, though. “Maybe… maybe we can both talk with her?” Marle said, the words spilling out without any thought. “We’re both bad with words, we’re both too dumb for Lucca, but with both of us combined, maybe it could be enough?”

A renewed vigor struck through Ayla. “Marle smart! Quick, help Lucca with Ayla!”

Before she could doubt herself and realize this was an awful idea, Marle felt her arm already being tugged by Ayla towards the building.

* * *

Darkness swirled through the old hotel. Tattered rags and cracked stone littered the floor. It appeared at one point to have been a high-class establishment. Torn rugs laced with washed out yellowed frills shifted under their feet. A broken chandelier lay crumpled on the carpet, bits of glass and metal strewn around it dangerously. Shattered lightbulbs and other lights lined the walls in the place of windows, leaving the entrance hall darker than most. Marle swore she felt something furry run across her foot, doing her best not to screech.

Ayla pulled on, slower however. Her eyes adjusted faster, able to see through the gloom better than Marle could ever dream. For once, the howling winds outside were but a whisper in here. There was only a deathly quiet that unnerved Marle. However, one noise still reached her ears.

It was a small quiet thing. A gentle sobbing in the dark, low and choking with remorse. At times, the hotel fell silent, as if the crying attempted to stifle itself. But it never could, and the choking sobs returned. Marle’s chest constricted. She tightened her grip around Ayla’s hand. Ayla squeezed back with a gentleness that almost seemed foreign from a cavewoman.

The sobbing was getting louder. Marle saw an outline in the dark, hunched against the wall. Lucca sat against the floor, head in her knees, muffled cries escaping out. Even now, even here she still tried to hide it.

Ayla stopped. She held Marle’s hand tight now, and Marle could sense her distress. ‘ _Please talk for me_ ’ is what Marle figured Ayla was thinking.

“Lucca?” Marle breathed out, barely above a whisper. She noticed she was shaking. Ayla held tight, reassuring her.

The sobbing stopped, a sniffle came from Lucca’s shadowed form. “Go away!” Her voice was hoarse and strained.

Marle flinched. Her heart pounded, and she felt herself stepping back. Ayla held her, shaking her head firmly. “I’m…” her voice was too small. She took a deep breath. “I’m not going away!” She said much too loudly.

Again, the sobbing returned. “Please,” Lucca pleaded. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

Tears began forming in Marle’s eyes now, but she tried to fight it back. The words wouldn’t come to her. Ayla moved closer, pulling Marle along. However, this time it felt like Ayla couldn’t let go, was too afraid to let go.

Silently, they sat before her. Lucca didn’t dare to look at them, she couldn’t look at them. Marle and Ayla both sat in silence, their daring plan from before as ruined as the planet.

They weren’t sure how long they sat in the dark. At some point, Lucca finally spoke. “I’m so pathetic, aren’t I?” The words came out heavy, with a struggle. “Look at me, crying like a little girl.”

Marle heard a strange noise come from Ayla. Ayla made many strange noises before, but never something like this. A strained sob. “Lucca not path-hetic. Ayla also cry. Ayla leave and cry like stupid weakling.” She sniffled. Marle saw the tears streaming down her face.

Marle noticed, she too was crying. It wasn’t until she tried to speak, tried to even breathe that she realized. “You, you know me,” Marle said, her voice shaking. “You’ve already seen me cry plenty, Lucca.”

Finally, Lucca raised her eyes, red and full of tears. She stared at them, almost mystified. She was shocked most of all to see Ayla cry. Still, even through all this, she fought against them.

“You two have a reason to cry,” Lucca said with a deep frown etched onto her lips. It was a look Marle had seen before this, before they had gotten trapped. When Lucca thought no one was looking. “Me? I’m crying over a piece of electronics. Metal. Pathetic.”

“Lucca, but-” Marle started to say.

“I put your life in danger because of it,” Lucca said. She let out a cold, terrifyingly cold laugh. So full of hate for herself. “All because of what? Some stupid machine that looked like…” She couldn’t even say Robo’s name.

Marle knew her words would be useless. But she said them anyway. She had to do something. She felt Ayla begging her to do something. “It’s okay, Lucca, that wasn’t Robo.”

Again, that terrible laugh, that hateful laugh. “Oh, yeah, believe me I know! You know, that’s not even the dumbest part! I knew that wasn’t -- that wasn’t him.” She placed her head back on her knees. “But, you know what? I had a thought. A stupid, stupid thought.”

Marle and Ayla waited. The words spilled out of her almost uncontrollably. Lucca was barely breathing between it all, nearly gasping for air during each pause.

“I thought, but ‘what if he tried waiting for me’?” Lucca mocked her own voice, disgust in her mouth. “What if he tried waiting? All those hundreds of years. Maybe he couldn’t get the Epoch, but he would try waiting for me. He…” She choked again, gasping for air. “He’d have waited near here, knowing where we are. He’d wait and wait until there was nothing left in him. Till he was completely gone!”

She clenched her fists, squeezing them against her head. “And you know what I figured would happen? The other robots. They’d find him. They’d get his parts! They’d use his parts!” Her voice cracked with each word. “I know it isn’t likely, I _know_ there’s an incredibly tiny chance this actually happened, but what if his parts were in them? What if parts of him were in that robot?

“Stupid. So stupid, I know!” Lucca screamed at herself, berating herself. “But it’s possible. All I could think was that it was possible! You idiot, you stupid idiot!” Her voice died down. “Because of it, I got you hurt. I needed to be strong, I needed to be logical and rational for you all! But I couldn’t even keep up that charade for a day. Not even one day.”

Marle’s thoughts ran rampant. What could she say to that? What could she possibly say to help Lucca? She was in so much pain. They all were. But she couldn’t fully understand. Marle was never one for words. Even when Crono was put on trial for execution for a crime he clearly didn’t commit! She couldn’t find the right words to save him. She never could!

She felt Ayla’s hand leave hers.

There was a rustling of furs and clothing as Ayla embraced Lucca, tears still streaming down her scarred face. Marle followed suit. Truth be told, it was a selfish act. She also did not want to be alone, she did not want to be without contact at this moment. She quickly wrapped her arms around Lucca’s shoulders and cried into her chest, pathetically. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t speak.

Lucca’s chest heaved, and her heart pounded, but at least the sobbing was gone. Maybe she merely couldn’t cry anymore. All Marle knew was she wanted to help, that she wanted to be close. Lucca’s skin was a gentle warmth against her own cold chill. She felt Ayla’s strong arms hold her too.

And for just a moment in the darkness, they cried. They cried together for everything. For Crono, for Kino, for Robo, for the planet lost and the family members gone. Lucca no longer hid in her knees, no longer kept her arms at her side. She pressed her head against Marle’s, and she felt Ayla’s long flowing hair drape them all in a soft warmth. They were alone in this world, but they were alone together.


	4. Green Dream

It was the first night in many nights where she did not have nightmares. Lucca still did not sleep for long, she wasn’t sure if she ever would here, but her dreams soothed some of her troubles. She wasn’t sure where she was in the dream, but she knew Ayla and Marle were there. She felt their breath against her chest, she heard the tiny whimpers of Marle and the roaring snores of Ayla. They stayed close, and she kept them close. A strange thing she had never done with any human.

When she awoke to the dark hotel entrance, it was not with a jolt this time at least. She felt the rhythmic falling of Marle’s breathing against hers, a calm expression on her face. An expression with tears but calm nonetheless. Lucca knew Marle had been unable to sleep since they had gotten here. She did not wish to wake her.  
  
A brush of soft furs touched her skin, followed by rough muscles and fresh scars. Ayla awoke with a yawn, brushing the sleep and dried tears away. Lucca had to admit, her legs ached, but she didn’t want to move from this position. In all her years, she had never allowed a single person to come so close to her, let alone persons. It was an interesting feeling.

Ayla pushed herself up onto all fours, allowing Luca’s right side some much needed space. Yet, at the same time, she noted how quickly the cold reached her.

‘ _They are truly good friends, aren’t they?’_ Robo said in her mind. It was pathetic, she knew, making up these conversations. But she couldn’t help it. ‘ _I am glad they are here for you in my stead.’_

_I would rather you, Robo._

_‘Would you truly trade these women’s lives for an old robot like me?’_

She paused. Thinking. _I’m not sure._

_‘They can hold you in ways I never could. They could feel for you in ways I never could.’_

_Robo, you’re always so self-deprecating! Don’t act like you never felt emotions!_

_‘I agree. It is a problem, isn’t it? I wish you could do the same.’_

_…_

She held the dream close. Felt the warmth. She squeezed it as hard as she could. It would not break. _  
…_

_Robo, I miss you so much._

_‘I miss you too, Lucca.’_

There was a sudden surge of electricity through her body. Her lips tingled, and she opened her tear stained eyes to find Ayla kissing her. It was not a strong forceful kiss, like the ones in battle. It was light, and tender, causing her to shiver.

“Ayla!” Lucca whispered, trying her best not to wake Marle. “What are you doing?”

Ayla stared deep into her eyes with that stern stare of hers. There would always be that language barrier between them, and Lucca admitted, she could never quite tell what that cavewoman was thinking, but she felt as if Ayla could see right into her.

“Ayla heal,” she said matter-of-factly. As if it were obvious.

“I wasn’t injured,” Lucca countered, finding she somehow always lost her arguments against Ayla.

Ayla shook her head and placed her hand softly on Lucca’s chest. She felt her own heart pounding against Ayla’s palm. “Lucca hurt here. Ayla heal.”

Lucca was speechless.

_‘She has a point. It did help you, didn’t it?’_

_Be quiet, Robo!_

“Cry good sometimes,” Ayla said, still staring. “But cry alltimes bad.”

Her brain felt like it had short circuited.

Before she could continue, Lucca felt a low growl. Heard it too. It was a loud, monstrous thing, demanding itself be known. It was Marle’s stomach. The princess slowly stirred from her deep slumber, awoken by the beast within.

“Eat?” Ayla asked, her gaze thankfully now off Lucca.

Marle smiled sheepishly, aware everyone must have heard that. “That would be nice, actually.”

“I can cook. Let’s find a room.” Lucca felt the urge to keep Marle close. She even felt Marle’s reluctance to leave.

Cold lips pecked sweetly against her cheek, sending another shiver through Lucca. “Thank you.”

Lucca was dumbstruck. “Me?? I didn’t… why?”

Ayla grinned and Marle giggled lightly. “Ayla’s a bad influence.”

_‘There’s enough room to love more than just me, Lucca.’_

* * *

‘ _This room is perfect!’_

“This room will have to do,” Lucca grumbled.

The stairs at the bottom of the hotel were blocked by debris, concrete, and old furniture. It told Lucca three things. One: People had survived here before. Two: It was more than likely structurally stable if number one was true. Three: Whoever survived here before was probably dead now.

Either way, that debris worked as a natural barricade and would dissuade any mutants or robots that may come looking for them.

The downside, and this was the big one, was that they had to climb up an old elevator shaft. Ayla, of course, had no problem with this. She could climb up thirty floors without breaking a sweat. Lucca, however, was already a dirty sweat machine by the time they had gotten halfway up, and Marle… She wasn’t doing as well as she let on. Ayla had to help her up.

_‘An impenetrable defense against all attackers! A secret lair away from any nasty foes! Not to mention great daily exercise.’_ Robo beeped happily in her mind.

_Yeah, sure, except what if the monsters decide to attack the base of this thing? What if they do still make it inside? Escape is going to be difficult. If any of us get injured, especially Ayla, it’ll be even harder to make it back up here. Carrying supplies isn’t gonna be easy either._

That shut him up for a bit.

_‘There will always be pros and cons, Lucca.’_ He stopped for a moment. _‘Oh! And what a view! You’ll be able to see an enemy coming from miles away!’_

_What a view indeed,_ Lucca thought sarcastically, looking out the huge grimy window. The pane went from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling, allowing maximum vision.

From here, she could truly know the devastation Lavos brought to the planet. The glass shell of the dome was broken in just such a way that she could see out into the horizon. There really was nothing out there. Nothing but Lavos’ spawn in the distance. Multiples. There was more than she had imagined, more than she had ever wanted to see. What did they feed on anymore? What did they do? Their hulking forms were merely shadowed mountains in the distance, but still they shook her.

Of course, the Black Omen would never leave their sight as well. From here it loomed even closer, the unnatural thing blotting out an already unnatural sky. There was no forgetting the terrors of this world, no forgetting the horrors that Lavos committed.

“You’re way too optimistic,” Lucca grumbled to Robo after a time.

Marle appeared by her side. “Hm? What do you mean?”

Lucca quickly adjusted her glasses. “Sorry, just thinking out loud.”

Their room had probably once been a fancy suite hundreds of years ago. There was plenty of space, however most of it was taken up by fallen furniture, collapsed walls, broken glass, or anything else that can go wrong in this hell hole.

_‘But there are beds!’_

Dirty musty old beds sat before them. The mattresses were lumpy and stained with time and disgusting bed bugs and even a few rats. Lucca happily burned them. Ayla insisted they keep the rats for food. She just hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that.

Unsurprisingly, this was one of the better rooms of the joint. Most were either completely unusable due to support beams collapsing, old moldy water damage, or just infestations. Up here at least, there seemed to be less creepy crawlies. Maybe it was just because there wasn’t anything here to live off. They’d pulled some old greasy blankets and pillows from some of the other rooms.

Marle quickly sat atop the old creaky bed, her head clearly woozy. “I’m glad we at least have some beds, now.”

“Better than nothing, I suppose,” Lucca replied with a sigh.

Somehow, Marle still smiled. At least attempted to. She must have been starving, sleep deprived, and just generally exhausted. Keeping everyone hydrated was clearly taking a toll on her, and it didn’t help that Ayla kept asking for water more than anyone else. Not that Marle didn’t enjoy ‘watering’ her, but Lucca wished they understood the cost of it.

_‘The least you can do is smile for her too.’_

Lucca tried. It was fake. They all knew it was fake. Still, somehow, it made Marle happy. Happy as a sad girl can be.

“I’ll get the food started,” Lucca said, reaching into her bag.

“Ayla, why don’t I heal you in the mean time?” Marle offered, patting the old bed at her side.

Ayla stared. “Marle sure? Not tire?” She still had some open cuts on her body, and her hair had spots of mutant blood with her own blood caked in. She didn’t seem to mind. Although, the mutant blood did stink.

“I’m tired, but I won’t be able to sleep anyway. Plus, we can’t have you going around as hurt as you are.” Maybe Marle noticed the stench too. Lucca had mostly gotten used to it, but it’d be nice if their cavewoman didn’t smell like a rotting corpse at least.

“Okay,” Ayla grunted, sitting next to Marle. “Ayla thank full.”  Lucca saw the way they looked at each other, especially now, and knew there was something. Maybe not love, but desperation. She wasn’t sure.

_‘Please don’t think like that,’_ Robo sighed.

_Can you blame me?_ Lucca groaned mentally, popping open the can with her knife. Yeesh, these were dry.

_‘I cannot.’_

“Hey, before you start, send a bit of that water my way, will ya?” Lucca held up the can.

“Sure!” Marle nodded. Just like that, a few drops of water landed in with the dried beans. It wasn’t enough, but Lucca got the feeling that was all she could give for now and wouldn’t push it.

Cooking a can of beans did not take much concentration. She dreamed there was a crappy flame underneath the can. There was. Yay.

_‘You know, so very few people hold that power! You should be more appreciative of-’_

“Yeah, yeah,” Lucca found herself mumbling aloud again. Luckily the girls didn’t notice, having already closed their eyes.

She had never watched Marle heal before. It would probably prove to be interesting, at least. Ayla was already leaning against her, looking somehow asleep? Was this part of the magic, or was Ayla really that content already?

Marle appeared to be asleep as well, her expression tranquil. She held Ayla’s head in her lap and began to run her hands through her hair, dripping a pure clean water through. It wasn’t long before Ayla’s hair was completely dark and sopping wet. Marle’s hands moved deftly through, eliminating any blood, dirt, or ash in a trance. Her hands glowed a beautiful blue hue, reminding Lucca of the ice caps of the world before all this.

It was incredibly soothing, even for Lucca. And she wasn’t even a part of it. Their chests rose and fell in rhythm with each other’s, their usual tensed muscles relaxed. Lucca found her own breathing had slowed as well. She was unable to take her eyes off them, feeling safe in that they could not see her and worry about her.

‘ _They’re very pretty, aren’t they?’_

Lucca shushed him. _You don’t even know what pretty is._

Marle soon moved to the arms, covered in gashes and black gunk. Both her hands gently pressed against Ayla’s skin, her fingertips just sliding across like a water strider, almost floating. To Lucca’s amazement, the cuts shrunk under Marle’s pure blue, each passing touch making it smaller and smaller until there wasn’t even a blemish.

She was amazing. If only Lucca could have learned to heal like this, maybe she could share some of the burden. Yet here she was, cooking a can of beans.

Ayla’s body was drenched now, her skin shimmering clean and soft. Marle’s hands continued to work, removing any imperfections upon her, moving like the ocean’s waves. Her hands soon reached to Ayla’s chest and-

Lucca’s glasses fogged up. The can was so hot, it nearly burned her fingers. With an awkward sputter, she tossed the can around like a hot potato, the tin steaming. She didn’t spill anything, luckily.

She blinked and returned her gaze to Marle and Ayla. Ayla’s breasts were now out and fully drenched, Marle’s hands deftly massaging them. Did… Did she not realize what she was doing!? Ayla’s face had turned a shade of red, but besides a grunt here and there, she stayed asleep. Marle’s face hadn’t changed in the slightest.

_‘She is just cleaning-’_

_NOT RIGHT NOW, ROBO._

Marle’s hands soon lingered at Ayla’s belly, gently rubbing and touching her slick body. Lucca could not tear her eyes away. She noticed her breaths were leaving in shorter and shorter gasps as Marle’s hand moved down to her thighs.

_Do I say something!? Should I stop her?!_

_‘I do not know, but it is impolite to stare.’_

_Robo, you are not helping._

Again, Marle’s hands moved deftly, just now between Ayla’s legs and beneath her furs. It… it didn’t appear to be sexual? It was just a gentle motion like before, and Marle did not linger. Luckily Marle’s fingers were soon out of Ayla’s furs and onto her legs instead.

_‘Lucca, your body temperature is extremely high, and your heart rate has spiked.’_

_I am aware, thank you!_

Lucca found she had been holding her breath in. When Marle’s heal was complete, she let out a sigh of relief. The two of them still had their eyes closed, and Lucca had hoped they would stay in their trance for a little while longer as she attempted to wipe away the fog from her glasses.

* * *

“Ayla feel great!” She shouted, her body still sopping wet.

_Yeah, I bet you do._

_‘Now I believe you are the one who should shush.’_

Marle smiled brightly, her skin appearing slightly less pale. She let out a loud jaw cracking yawn. “Yeah, you know, it’s strange. I do too?”

Again, those two exchanged glances. A soft and tender thing, a look of understanding, and care for each other. A happiness that seemed so foreign to Lucca, so distant and far away. She almost did not want to interrupt them, almost didn’t want to speak at all. Or ever again.

‘ _They care for you too. Remember yesterday.’_

_They_ have _to care for me, Robo. What choice do they have? Those two don’t have a cruel bone in their body! Unlike me._

_‘I disagree with those statements.’_

_Bah, that’s because you don’t have a cruel part in your big metal body either!_

_‘You repaired me, you changed my parts. The voice you hear now is your own, Lucca. You are not cruel.’_

Robo’s voice became distorted, like static from her headset. Static was all she could ever pick up. _Listen to me. Trying to call myself not cruel._ She wouldn’t allow Robo’s voice back in. It wasn’t really his, anyway.

“Lucca?”

“What.” Her voice came out low, hollow, angry. She didn’t mean for it to be like that. The anger was at herself. She saw the hurt in Marle’s eyes.

“Um…” Marle averted her gaze. “Is, uh, the food ready?”   

_Come on, you idiot, don’t make her feel bad. Be nice._

“Yeah.” The words still came out wrong. She took a small breath. “It’s ready, yeah.”

_That was… a little better I guess._

She felt Ayla’s stare. Where Marle would look away, Ayla only stared more. She disapproved with a frown. Probably felt protective over Marle, probably just didn’t like Lucca. _Who would?_ Lucca just wished she’d stop staring. Stop trying to get into her head. What could Ayla of all people know?

Lucca shook her head. Enough cynicism! She blotted that away, too, pushed it all down her throat, down deep, down with Robo. Ignore it.

She reached into her bag, feeling through her spare parts, a comforting warmth, and her useless gizmos before pulling out something. “I grabbed us an old spoon, I guess.” _Exciting_. She remembered when she used to reveal amazing new gadgets, teleportation machines, and deadly bombs.

Somehow, Marle still smiled like all the other times. Over a stupid spoon. Like it was just as good as a brand-new ray gun. “You always think of everything, Lucca.” She was too sweet. She felt a cool chill hit her scorched chest. “Here, let me clean it up a bit at least.”

“Yeah.”

* * *

Marle and Ayla sat together. Lucca sat across from them, a small harmless campfire between. It didn’t require sticks, it would not burn the old carpeting. She would not allow it.

“I think these are the best beans I’ve ever had in my life,” Marle said with her mouth full.

“Ayla like!”

That was one thing Lucca could agree on. They were old, they were pretty much tasteless, but if Lucca tried really hard, she could get a bit of savory goodness. The texture was a bit mushy, but when you’ve not eaten anything but literal mutant meat for days, it felt like a fluffy buffet for the gods.

“Yeah, they’re okay.”

Marle scarfed down each bite hungrily, almost forgetting to chew. It was hard to imagine she was ever a princess.

“Oh, um, Ayla,” Marle mumbled, mouth still full. “You barely ate any of your share.” A spoonful of steamy beans hovered right in front of her mouth. She desperately fought the urge to take another bite.

“Ayla full!” She patted at her thinning stomach. _Liar_.

Marle still held the spoon close to her lips, maybe even closer now. “Um, what about you Lucca?”

“I’m good,” Lucca lied.

“Thank youffmgmmch!” She grumbled with a big stupid grin on her face. She needed it more than anyone. Lucca’s stomach still rumbled, and she admitted to licking her lips more than once as she watched Marle practically slurp the can up.

Lucca was sure even Ayla never ate this ravenously.

Marle tilted her head back, pressing the can against her lips and hitting the back end of it, licking up any spare juices she could get. When she was sure there was nothing else, she brought the can away and gasped for air, grinning like an idiot.

“Marle eat like caveman!” Ayla laughed, patting Marle’s back roughly.

She giggled her sweet laugh. The kind of laugh that probably shouldn’t come out of a girl who just _drank_ a can of beans. “It was just so good!” She turned to Lucca, that bright smile catching her off guard. “Did you do anything special with these?”

Lucca adjusted her glasses, nearly knocked back by her energy. “Huh? No, I mean, I just used the water you gave me.”

Ayla nodded vigorously. “Marle water tasty! Extra good! Make food better!”

At that, Marle blushed. That compliment was meant for Lucca but turned around on her. “Oh! Well, I don’t know about that.” She quickly changed the subject. “So, any of you feeling thirsty?”

“Ayla thirsty!”

Again, Marle laughed. “You’re always thirsty.”

_She sure is._

“What about you, though, Lucca? It’s been a while.”

She felt the dryness in her mouth, could suddenly sense how chapped her lips were. “Yeah, I could actually do with some water,” she admitted.

Ayla stared again. Lucca expected some sort of jealousy, some sort of pout or whining that Lucca would go first. There was no such thing. She simply nodded. “Lucca first. Lucca need.”

Marle quickly made her way over to Lucca, crouching down close to her. She smelled of sweat and beans, but there was an underlying sweetness there still, like a sea salt ice cream? She was so close. Lucca noticed how soft her hair was, the bright optimism in her eyes. She always got close, but just enough that it didn’t make Lucca uncomfortable. She seemed to be extremely aware of Lucca’s personal bubble, always asking for permission to enter.

“Are you ready? Tilt your head back.”

“Actually,” Lucca quickly interrupted, scrounging through her bag again. She relished the moments she could feel the dream brush against her hands. “While we were out, I managed to grab us some old plastic bottles.” She pulled the dirty thing from her bag. “I figure we could use that for when we need water.”

There was the lightest twitch in her smile. Something so subtle, something only Lucca could see when she was this close. “Oh, that’s a great idea!” Marle exclaimed, but her excitement felt subdued. “Let me just do that instead. It’s much easier.” She closed her eyes.

_‘Why did you say that?’_

_It’s easier this way. Like she said._

_‘She wanted to give you her water directly._ You _wanted her to give you water directly. I do not understand.’_

_Ugh, can’t you go back to being quiet?_

Lucca felt that judgmental stare from Ayla again. Instead she could have felt the cool tips of Marle’s fingers on her chin, right next to her lips. But she chose this.

“There, all done.” Marle handed Lucca an ice cool bottle back, water dripping down its sides. “I even made sure to get it all cleaned out.”

“Thank you, Marle,” Lucca said genuinely. She hoped it sounded genuine. She tried to make it sound genuine.

“You’re welcome, Lucca.” Marle lingered a bit awkwardly. She wanted to say more, she wanted to do more. Her hand reached out for a moment before receding back to her side. She turned to Ayla. “Let me get you a bottle of water too, okay?”

Ayla shook her head stubbornly, poofy hair going everywhere. “Ayla like old way! Fresher!”

There was that sweet giggle. Lucca felt her breath against her cheek as Marle got up to move. This water was fresh enough! Literally only a few seconds old. She took a swig from her bottle. It was cool, refreshing and-

_‘It does not taste as good does it?’_

_That doesn’t even make sense! It’s the same water!_

_‘Maybe it’s because it isn’t as special now. Maybe Miss Marle wasn’t as happy to make it. Maybe you don’t think it tastes as good without her touch.’_

_You know, you’ve been awfully preachy lately._

_‘You always told me how to feel. You always helped me understand what I was feeling. It is only fair I do the same for you.’_

* * *

They were all still hungry. That much was obvious. Be as quiet as you want, but your stomach will growl regardless of what you think. Still, they were too tired to leave now. They wanted more time to rest, more time to live. The world outside was even darker and sadder than here.

Lucca fiddled with her gadgets. It soothed her mind, at least a little. It felt like a return to home, away from it all. Even if she knew she couldn’t make anything worthwhile here. Maybe for this invention she could use a solar powered battery and…. No. No that wouldn’t work obviously. How stupid.

“Ayla bored!”

Lucca’s muscles tensed, and she fought the urge to yell.

“I’m a little bored too,” Marle admitted with that nervous smile of hers. Lucca’s heart softened. Those two didn’t have any gadgets to fiddle with, didn’t have any books, didn’t have anything. Of course, Lucca had something to keep herself busy luckily, but (of course) Lucca didn’t think of them.

She gathered her items and placed them back away in her knapsack. She glanced at the green amber inside, her gaze lingering on it.

“I guess if we’re stuck here, we’re going to have to learn to entertain ourselves, aren’t we? It’s only the logical thing to do.”

Ayla nodded excitedly, like she actually understood.

_‘She_ does _understand, Lucca.’_

She hid that voice away. It was too distracting.

“Oh, well!” Marle scooched slightly closer, eyes drifting away to another time, another place. “When I was little, I was often cooped up at the castle. I got bored a lot too. I read so many books!” Her eyes twinkled as she drifted farther away from here. “But, you can’t live off books forever. Sometimes I made the servants or the knights tell stories with me. Not all of them would, but it was always so fun to see what happened.”

Ayla’s eyes lit up like Marle’s. “Ayla same! With tribe!” She paused. “Can’t read.” Was there actually a tinge of shame there? Lucca figured that was just her imagination. “But tell story. Sometimes real. Sometimes fake.”

Lucca, again, found herself unable to relate. She was always just fine with her books. She couldn’t imagine making up stories with others. Her dad was always busy and her mom… It was too hard to talk with her mom.

“Does that sound like fun to you, Lucca?” Marle asked, both her and Ayla staring, pleading, really.

_‘I for one would enjoy it!’_

_You’re not even actually here!_

Did she even have a choice? “Sure,” Lucca said slowly. “I guess we could try. How do we do this? Just make up stories?”

Marle scooched closer again. “Something like that! But I always put a little twist,” she said mischievously. “We all tell the story! We each get a few sentences, it doesn’t matter really how much, but just be fair and let the other person tell it how they want to.”

_Sounds stupid._

_‘It does not!’_

“All right, that could be fun,” Lucca said halfheartedly.

The two girls beamed. “Oh, this will be so much fun! Lucca, could you create another little campfire for us and we can pretend we’re out camping in the woods?” Ayla nodded along, approving as hard as she could.

She felt something inside her. Something not so bad. “Why not?” She shrugged.

Lucca closed her eyes and allowed herself to dream.

No more bleak wasteland, that was boring. No, Lucca was in a dark forest at night. The moon shone down from a starry night sky, bathing the woods in a gentle white light. Crickets chirped, and the wind blew gently for once, rustling the leaves slightly. She saw the campfire she made, felt its warmth, and **saw the dark shadows it casted. Lucca’s was the longest.**

_Cut that out._

Marle and Ayla gathered around, sitting in the cool dirt without so much as a complaint. She heard sticks crack and gears whirring followed by a light whistling of steam in the night. Robo stood behind her quietly, the cool steel of his metal chilling her skin.

“This will be quite fun,” Robo beeped happily, taking a seat behind her. For some reason, Ayla and Marle did not notice his return. “I do not mind. I am quite happy with watching and listening.”

Lucca laid her helmet back against his plate, knowing her thick skull wouldn’t harm him. It was so warm and pleasant out. It was so nice, she wanted to cry.

“Ayla want sit near Lucca!” She demanded, a breeze blowing through her hair. “Easy hear. Too far, no hear.”

Lucca didn’t even have a moment to protest. Before she knew it, Ayla was kicking up dirt and running at her on all fours, sitting at her side, brushing up against her. Robo made a pleasant whirr.

“I am all too happy to accommodate my friends,” Robo said as Ayla leaned against him. “Even if they do not see me.”

“Well!” Marle huffed, firelight shining off her hair. “I am not sitting by myself either!” She scrambled towards them and quickly sat opposite of Ayla, sidling up to her side as well. Robo placed a gentle hand around them, holding them close, protecting them from the cool breeze.

“I sense Crono and Kino as well,” Robo beeped. “My sensors cannot detect their exact position, but I feel they are near.”

Lucca let out a small sigh, feeling a toxic breath leave her body. Ayla’s furs were soft, but her muscles were tough, almost as tough as Robo’s steel. Marle’s chill skin sent pleasant shivers through Lucca, also reminding her of Robo’s metal.

“Lucca, why don’t you go first?” Marle asked, brushing closer against her. “The starting point is always the most fun!”

“Me? But I’m the one who never even played this before!”

Marle nodded with that impish grin on her face. “Exactly! So you have to start!” Lucca felt Ayla’s hair bobbing up and down as she nodded in agreement.  

Lucca’s mind drew a blank for once. She stared up at the moon and stars, lost.

“I request you make the story about a robot!” Robo exclaimed, steam whistling from his sides in excitement. “Er, um. Please.”

“I… I couldn’t do that,” Lucca whimpered pathetically.

Ayla put an arm around her and pulled her in close. Marle scooched in more as well, clasping her hand around Lucca’s. “You can do it, Lucca! It’s easy!”

“Easy!” Ayla grunted, squeezing her tighter. “Ayla dumb! Ayla can do!”

“Please, Lucca?” Robo asked again.

She gulped. It was a nice night after all. Why ruin that? “All right. Yeah.” She paused, feeling the fire heating up pleasantly. She made sure it never burnt the grass or the trees. She was in control. “Yeah!”

Once she started, the words came easy to her, almost falling out of her even. Like yesterday, but different.

“There once was a robot as strong and as cool as could be. He was powered by the sun itself! And he used the sun’s power to shoot super powerful lasers, fly across space, and visit all sorts of different planets! He had a brilliant inventor, but,” she laughed. “We don’t need to hear about her, just know that she’s a genius. Anyway, the robot is flying through space when-”

“Rob bot land on big rock! Full of stupid dinosaurs!” Ayla interrupted, her muscles tensing. Lucca could feel her tail scarf wagging in the wind with excitement.

“Hey, I wasn’t done!” Lucca groaned.

“Sorry!” Marle laughed, her voice floating through the trees with the crickets and the leaves. “That’s just how the rules are! Go on, Ayla.”

“Those _are_ the rules,” Robo agreed, unhelpfully.

“Oh fine!” Lucca huffed.

Ayla continued, stars in her eyes. “Dinosaurs always steal rob bot’s food! Rob bot hungry, get mad! Rob bot find stupid dinosaur cave and punch stupid dinosaur! Dinosaur explode.” She said it so smugly. Still, Lucca couldn’t help but smirk at that ridiculous image.

“But!” Marle jumped in, full of energy. “It turns out that the dinosaurs were just misunderstood!”

“Dinosaur never misunderstood!” Ayla yelled. “Dinosaur always stupid!”

“Ohh, Ayla, sorry!” Marle mocked sweetly, wagging a finger. “But it’s my turn now, and it’s my rules.” She was having so much fun with this. “The robot finds out the dinosaurs just wanted to be loved! They stole the food because they wanted attention is all! And the robot, he was not cruel, was he?” She looked to Lucca and Ayla with a dramatic flair.

“Goodness, no!” Robo screeched.

“Rob bot probly not cruel,” Ayla said, scratching her chin. “But dinosaur always is. Story not make sense.”

Marle ignored that last part. “The robot learned to accept the dinosaurs, learned to understand them! He even befriended a good dinosaur.”

Lucca felt a burning in her chest that she could not contain. “A T-rex!” She yelled. “And the robot installed gatling guns where its tiny arms used to be! It could shoot bullets that pierced through anything in the universe! The robot rode on the dinosaur, and… did I mention the T-rex had a jetpack? The T-rex had a jetpack, so they could fly too.”

“Rob bot and Tee-rex become good friends! Even though strange,” Ayla said with confusion. “Not many good dinosaur. But, together! Rob bot and Tee-rex kill all bad dinosaurs! Smash all caves! Explode!” She made an explosion noise with her lips and threw her hands into the air. “But make sure environmentally safe too, so not hurt other animal or people.”

Marle threw out a finger dramatically. “But then! It all went wrong! It turned out the T-rex _was_ evil! It turned out all dinosaurs _are_ stupid!”

“Ayla knew!! Ayla told everyone!!”

Ignoring the hoots and hollers, Marle continued, her face grim and serious, yet still oddly cute. “The robot had no choice! He aimed his Ultra-Super-Extra-Cool laser at the dinosaur planet, and he destroyed it all! In one blow! Bam!” She clapped her hands.

Ayla and Lucca stared on in horror. This was not where they expected things to go, or at least not where they expected Marle to go.

She just laughed. “Oh, am I not allowed to like action and romance too?”

“My goodness!” Robo beeped. “What a morbid tale!”

Their story went on for hours into the night. Many a time Marle got up to act out her scene with Ayla joining in and playing the losing villain. (It was almost always a dinosaur.) Lucca laughed, they all laughed, and they forgot about their troubles. She did not join them in their acting, but not out of fear of rejection or sadness or anger. Lucca simply preferred to lean against Robo, listen to his gears whir lightly, his fans spin with sudden jolts of energy, which must have been his version of laughter.

Many times the robot hero found himself on an alien planet, and every time he made it out alive with the spirit of justice at his side! Strangely, Lucca and Ayla found themselves as the ones writing him more sympathetically after a time, where as Marle simply did the opposite of what they planned. She made the robot gruff and tough, or his lovers turn betrayer. Even if Lucca and Ayla made their villains evil horrible (again dinosaurs) people, Marle would then give them another twist and laugh at their suffering. It was such a breath of fresh air. Their only troubles were Marle’s anecdotes, which was a welcome change from the usual.

It made sense. Marle was always rebellious, Lucca remembered. She loved that playfulness.

“It is all right,” Robo said as Marle and Ayla laughed before the night’s fire.

“What do you mean, Robo?” Lucca whispered. He was always such a crybaby. The first sign of damage, no matter how small, he came running back to her begging for a repair.

“Do not let me hold you down, Lucca,” he said sadly. “That is not what I would have wanted.”

She shook her head. “No, come on. Don’t talk like that. You mean that’s not what you want. You’re right here.”  She squeezed the green amber. She had pulled it out of the bag when the girls weren’t looking. It was still warm, still filled with his dreams.

“It is all right,” he repeated, his volume low.

Lucca was happy. She truly was. At least for now. She forgot all her troubles, forgot her pain. But she wouldn’t forget Robo. She refused. She clung to the amber with all her might, so much so that her skin broke. Just like Robo, no matter how hard she tried, she could not hurt it.

“I don’t care,” she said to herself. “I don’t care if it hurts to keep you. You’re staying with me, Robo.”

“I appreciate that, Lucca.” He was always such a crybaby. Probably was leaking oil around his ocular sensors again. “But will you allow them as well? For me, at least?”

“I’ll try.” She held onto his gift, pressed it against her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're hankering for a more Lucca/Robo focused story, [here's a oneshot that takes place before all this. ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14533956)


	5. Twin Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Ayla to get a little more attention.

Ayla awoke before the others with a jolt. She had dreamt of a serene forest, a full moon, and her friends. Together they had danced around the fire, laughing and telling tales. The world was so full of color. Frog’s green skin, Crono’s red hair, Robo’s golden body, all underneath the white of the moon.

She had dreamt of Kino too, and the rest of her tribe. They depended on her. She knew Kino would be crying right now, probably unsure of how to lead their people. It pained her to think of him on his own in that world, but Kino was strong, stronger than he knew. Kino would lead their people to survival, Kino would find someone else to make him happy.

What choice would he have?

Ayla selfishly wished that Kino would wait for her, wait forever. But she knew that would not be fair. It wouldn’t be fair to the tribe. He would move on, and that was okay.  It was okay as long as he lived a long life and as long as he was happy.

She hoped he was happy.

It was the only thing that kept her going here. When she looked out of the tall building out into this colorless world, dark and dead, all that kept her from falling to her knees and screaming was that hope. That image of Kino, staying strong, taking care of the village in her place. He could do it. He had to. **He had to.**

_I’m sorry for leaving that burden on you, Kino._

However, she had a new tribe now. It was small, very small, but she would protect them with her life. She would not fail them like she did Kino. Like she did Crono. She could not fail them. If she did, what did she have left?

Marle slept peacefully in her rags, although her eyebrows remained furrowed. She was lonely.

Lucca still did not sleep well. She tossed and turned, her blankets a mess. Ayla understood that rage, that pain.

She felt a pang in her skull. A feeling of terror and anger that she did not like, that she couldn’t face. It was too quiet, too still. She needed it to stop. Maybe at least do something productive with it.

Without a sound, she dashed away, out into that dead world. She needed to protect them. She had to protect them. She needed to do more.

* * *

The world was too strange.

Everything she knew, everything that made Ayla Ayla was wrong. Skyscrapers loomed over her, judging her, mocking her. Each window held a cave, each cave held a past life. There was a possibility of food in every single one of these caves. How were there so many!?

It was a terrifying thing, facing this alone. But she had to, she had to feed her tribe, she had to protect them.

Her mind reeled as she tried to comprehend. Ayla was merely a cavewoman from the dawn of mankind, there was no history behind her time, no history of humans there that she could find or care about. But here? Here it was everywhere. Here the dead and the past could be found on each step. Here the wind screamed with their cries, memories of humans far long gone, desperate to be heard.

She wanted to hear them all, she wanted to know them all. It was built into her to know everything about her environment, know everyone. But here? She couldn’t possibly know. The asphalt was cold and rubbery and unnatural. She often found her feet bloodied and stinging, shards of glass sticking out. It hurt, but what hurt most of all was that she did not understand. In her world she would see the signs of a spiky cactus, or prints of a horned dinosaur, or see the signs of a poisonous snake. But here? Nothing made sense.

She visited every building, (cave in her mind) and looked through every desk and drawer and nook and cranny. There was so little. Where did they leave their food? She found mostly metal stones, papers, and other trinkets that seemed to do nothing.

Ayla tried to remember what Lucca had found. That food was delicious! But how did she identify it? There was hardly a smell, hardly a feature to it at all. It was all packed into some kind of cylindrical stone. That was it, if she just found those cylinders, she would find food! Lucca or Marle would know what to do.

She gathered what she found in her furs, hoping, hoping she was right. She didn’t want to let them down. She didn’t want to fail her tribe again. She couldn’t bear it. Soon she found herself searching frantically, knocking over desks and tables in a rage. There was no one near, there was no one anywhere, so she screamed. She screamed and she screamed until her throat hurt and her knuckles were bleeding. She screamed until her eyes went blurry with red and liquid.

She couldn’t keep failing. She couldn’t keep failing!

A red light shone, blinding her rage momentarily. Soon, her own scream was met back with something similar. It did not sound alive though, like everything else on this planet. A metal _thing_ stumbled forward, catching her completely by surprise. She did not hear it, did not smell it, she could not understand it. It was not alive, yet it moved. It was like Lucca’s Robo, but with nothing there.

“TRESSPASSERS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT!” It screeched, eyes gleaming like the red of that deadly meteorite. 

* * *

The climb up had proven difficult for Ayla. Her furs were full of supplies, and her body was sore and broken. The physical pain meant nothing to her. That wasn’t what hurt, that wasn’t what scared her. She’d barely escaped with her life against the metal man. It chased her relentlessly, faster and more precise than any predator she had faced. She had no choice but to smash its skull in, only breaking her hands further, bruising herself more. Again, it was not the pain that frightened her.

“Ayla!” Marle wailed wrapping her arms around Ayla’s battered shoulders, holding her tightly. Her heart was beating fast. “You had us worried sick!”

Lucca did not look happy. The glare of her glasses returned, hiding those emotions away. “Ayla, you can’t just run off like that without telling anyone.” She was worried too. Maybe it was wrong, but Ayla felt a strange comfort in their worry and concern over her.

She wanted to tell them she was sorry, tell them it was too hard to be cooped up, tell them she was too sad, too scared, tell them everything! But the words could not form.

“Ayla bring food.” She dropped the hard stones onto the floor.

“Ayla, but…” Marle fussed over her, looking over the cuts and bruises yet again. Ayla admitted, she wanted nothing more than to feel her healing touch again, to feel Marle’s fingers run through her hair. Her liquid essence quieted the dark of Ayla’s mind, silenced that fear.

“Ayla okay. Not hurt,” she lied. She wasn’t even sure why she tried.

Marle frowned sadly as she examined the blood and scars. Ayla had hurt herself more than she intended. She didn’t expect it to go so wrong, she didn’t expect to hurt Marle in the process.

Lucca had already began sorting through the stones or ‘cans’ on the floor. She shook her head. “Ayla, I appreciate you trying to get us food, I really do.” She sighed. “But… some of these aren’t cans of food, you know? This is just a big battery. A dead one too. This here? Expired. It needed to be refrigerated.”

Did she do that badly? Ayla felt her face heat up with shame. If she had returned to her tribe with a haul so meager she would have been challenged by her own people, maybe even killed for her irresponsibility. What kind of chief promised to protect and provide and then did not? She would have deserved banishment or death.

Lucca sighed. “There’s a couple things we can use here at least. You really should have told us before.”

_Am I really that stupid?_

“Ayla sorry.”

Marle shook her head, taking Ayla’s hand again. Her touch alone cooled Ayla’s pains. “It’s all right, but you should take at least one of us next time. We can help you figure out what’s food at the very least.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Lucca adjusted her glasses. “We need to work together. We can’t afford to lose you, Ayla.” There was a strain in her voice. Tiny. Anyone else would have missed it, but Ayla could feel it.

“ _Please_ be more careful, Ayla.” Marle squeezed Ayla’s hand tight, almost to the point where it hurt. “After all that’s happened…”

“Ayla…” Ayla struggled, her mouth felt stuck, hard to move. She so desperately wanted to say more. “Sorry,” was all that came out.

Marle embraced her wordlessly. Maybe she understood.

* * *

Another ‘day’ had gone by. (How long had they been here now? Ayla again felt the fear of the unknown creeping in.) The three ate slightly better, but they were still hungry. Marle agreed to help Ayla go out into the city and find more supplies.

Lucca had decided to stay behind. There was something called an ‘Enertron’ in the building, at the entrance. Ayla could not comprehend it. Lucca said it could heal all wounds, give them a full night’s rest, and if necessary, they could use it to survive without food. It just looked like a broken heap of metal to Ayla. How could something do that?

Marle agreed, however, that it would be extremely helpful. Her optimism filled Ayla’s chest, made her dizzy and breathless. Marle did not understand either, but she believed in Lucca, and that was all that mattered.

“You’ll be okay by yourself, Lucca?” Marle had asked worriedly. “You… have your weapon, right?”

Lucca flashed the metal thing with an unhappy grunt. “I’ll be fine.” She paused, probably realizing her tone. “Promise,” she said finally, her voice more distinct, stronger than before.

Ayla felt a connection with Lucca. A connection she couldn’t find in many of the others not of her time. Marle was sweet, Marle could understand Ayla, and she loved her for that. Lucca was strange, different from the rest, different from everyone. But she was similar to Ayla in some ways.

Lucca was wild.

Wild and cunning and beautiful. Maybe even more wild than Ayla was or ever could be. Ayla could only rely on her base instincts, her knowledge of her own time, but Lucca’s mind was open, always expanding, always improving. Timeless. Where Ayla was as free and wild as the forests she grew up in, Lucca was as open as the night sky, burning brightly among the stars.

If only Lucca could see that.

* * *

The world outside didn’t feel so dead with Marle, didn’t feel so scary. It was still lonely, it was still terrifying, it always would be, but Marle washed away some of that darkness. As the days went on, Ayla almost grew excited to spend time with her outside. She wished Lucca would join, but she understood. Lucca was busy. Lucca often needed time to herself. Marle was the opposite. Ayla had realized this too late, but she also did not like being alone. Not out here at least. It seemed Marle never wanted to be alone. Ever.

She tagged along behind Ayla pleasantly, always cautious, always a strained smile. She pointed out the dangers to Ayla, called out to her before she stepped on broken glass again, explained why every cave might not have food, why some may be guarded by those frightening robots. When Marle spoke to her, it felt so clear, so easy to understand, like a river.  

“See those windows, Ayla?” Marle had pointed. “Probably broken by the blast, or maybe a mutant. When you see that, probably means there’s going to be glass on the ground.” She frowned. “Although sometimes there’s _just_ broken glass. Maybe from a bottle, maybe from the dome itself. Have you, um, considered putting on shoes?”

“No! Shoes dumb!” Ayla refused! There was a time she had attempted to wear Frog’s shoes while he was asleep. She was curious why so many of her comrades wore such strange clothing, what benefit it had. Shoes were too clunky! Too slimy and weird! She couldn’t run on all fours with shoes on!

Marle had just laughed, a soothing thing, like waves crashing against the shores she never knew. “Okay, okay, just something to consider.” She did not fight Ayla on it, did not push further. It seemed she understood Ayla’s reasoning. Ayla felt that strange comforting chill in her chest again, making her shiver.

Her hope was beautiful, a shining light in the dark. Marle had ran forward once, before one of the wrecked buildings excitedly, as if ready to put on another performance. “Ayla! Look at this!” She said opening her arms wide for effect. “This is a grocery store!” She paused, smiling sheepishly. Ayla could not stop staring. Her bright clothes, shimmering dirty blonde hair, (well, all of her was pretty dirty, but Ayla didn’t mind that) and that entrancing smile. She was like a sparkling oasis in an empty desert. Mirage or not, how could anyone look away? How could anyone resist?

Marle put a finger on her chin. “Um, well, I think this is a grocery store. We didn’t exactly have these in my time either, but we had stalls of food and stuff that people sold!” She stared at the grimy glass windows inside. “I guess this is like a natural evolution of things or something? Lucca probably knows better.”

Ayla felt that strange urge to heal her again. It was almost uncontrollable. She knew why, she understood, but this probably was not the best place. It comforted her to no end to know Marle also did not completely understand this world. Maybe Ayla wasn’t so stupid after all.

“Ayla?” Marle had asked, with a tilt of her head. Her hair cascaded off the side like a waterfall. “Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Ayla shouted with a start, dashing by. She heard that laugh again, she caught the scent again. Ayla never had extensive time with what the ocean was, never had seen the beach really, but she knew that was what Marle must have smelled like.

* * *

There even was a time Ayla helped teach Marle!

It was faint, extremely faint, but she could smell it. Past that salty scent of Marle, the old dirt and dust of the world, there was something sugary, something sweet. Maybe it was like the power of Ayla’s kisses, it defied all reason, but she felt it.

“Honey!” Ayla shouted as they walked, quickly forgetting about the stinky mutant that they had just slain. “Ayla smell! Ayla know!”

Marle was surprised but didn’t doubt Ayla for even a moment. “I’m coming, just wait up!”

Ayla was frantic. She wanted to prove she could help Marle, prove something! She wanted to impress her. She dived into the store, removing all the rubble, sniffing out that tiny sugary scent. It was stronger. She kept her nose low to the ground, knowing it was somewhere, somewhere!

Marle appeared behind her with a breathless huff. Ayla kept busy, bent over and searching. “Ah-a, um,” Marle stuttered, flustered for some reason. Ayla smelt honey but also an increase in sweat? She also sensed a strong pair of eyes on her. That must have been Marle. “It, um, must be around here somewhere,” she giggled nervously.

Ayla knew. Ayla was not one to be oblivious to her own feminine charms. Now was not the time to seduce Marle, but she couldn’t help it if her rump swayed in the air as she searched, now could she? Oh, and maybe just a flick of her hair to get it out of her face of course.

“I, um.” Marle very slowly scooched in closer between the corner and Ayla, suddenly afraid to touch her. But Ayla could still feel that heat in her skin, the tingling of her body. “I think it’s just right here, Ayla, in this drawer for some reason. Maybe someone had a weird stash, and no one probably thought to check here…”

With a shaky hand, she pulled open the counter top. Marle’s hand bumped against Ayla’s butt (Ayla maybe had purposefully put that there, oops) causing her to let out a tiny huff of distress. Ayla pretended not to notice. She checked inside, and sure enough, the treasure glowed bright against the gloom.

“Honey!” Ayla exclaimed with joy. “Honey good! Honey tasty!”

Marle’s temperature cooled as she reveled over the jar of gold. “Do you think it’s still good after all this time?”

Ayla was so excited. She mimicked Lucca’s motions as she nodded. “Honey not go bad!” She said sagely. “Honey last long, still good! Ayla know.”

Marle blinked, processing the information. She smiled again, and Ayla lost her breath for a moment. “Oh, this is perfect! Lucca will love this! We’ll all love this! Ayla, you’re so great for finding it!”

Ayla’s head rushed with ideas and the taste and the praise and her lips and… she smiled too. For once in a long time, she didn’t feel so stupid. She didn’t feel like the odd one out.

* * *

Days continued to go by.

Ayla had come to the conclusion that she loved Marle as well as Lucca long ago. Maybe she was selfish, maybe she was greedy, but she knew she loved her. That was all that mattered. When Marle healed her, Ayla felt her love too. Even if she didn’t say it. It soothed her in ways she thought impossible.

Each touch was bliss, powerful in their own way. When Marle held her, she felt her loneliness felt her fears felt her powerlessness wash over Ayla. It was a powerful tide, begging Ayla to drown with her, drown deep in the darkness of the ocean together. With someone. Ayla felt that drowning sensation, understood it well. She wanted to be with her in the dark, too.

Even Ayla worried, though. Did this make her love shallow? Did it make it any less real? If Kino were here, if everything stayed the same before, would she still love Marle and Lucca? Did it matter?

Maybe it did. Maybe it didn’t. _I’m too simple to understand._

Still, despite it all, she relished each chance to feel her healing touch, relished the chance to kiss away her pain. She felt the gasping breath in her lips, she hungered for it, for that acceptance.

Marle needed it, too. She did not realize her own strength, refused to. Ayla wanted to show her strength, show Marle that she was strong too. She wanted to show her it was okay to love, that it was okay to love Lucca as well. Ayla could not understand this new world, could not understand many things, but she knew feelings. She felt Lucca’s burning gaze into Marle’s cold eyes. They too loved each other but could not admit it.

Ayla could not teach them many things, but she would teach them this. Again, maybe she was selfish, maybe she was cruel, but she knew what she wanted, she knew what they wanted. What they needed.

* * *

“Ah, this should be good, Ayla!” Marle smiled, reaching for what seemed like another nondescript can to Ayla. “We’re finally starting to have a supply of food thanks to you.” She would not take credit.

“Marle help!” Ayla grunted.

She looked to the grimy floor. “No, no, I wouldn’t have been able to. I can’t fight the monsters like you.”

The frozen remains of a robot littered the floor of the grocery store as Marle had called it. It had been guarding the food like a hungry boar but did not run away like one when injured. These kinds of beasts were terrifying to Ayla, things she could not read, that acted too erratically compared to the monsters of her home. Yet Marle always stood strong at her side, ice magic at the ready, never once flinching away from her wounds.

Ayla often found herself giving the finishing blow, but it was thanks to Marle’s magic that she did. Thanks to her ice that they shattered easier, that they didn’t hurt her bare knuckles or feet. Still she would not take credit. Still she would not admit her hurt. Even when Marle’s leg was struck, and she cried out in pain, she merely got back to her feet and continued her assault. But she would not take credit. 

It had been days of this. Ayla just wanted her to feel the same way. She wanted Marle to feel the same way Ayla felt when she healed her. That strength and support. So when Marle tried to ignore her hurt, ignore herself, she fell.

But Ayla caught her. She wouldn’t let it be like this anymore. She couldn’t anyway. The way Marle lost her breath, the way her muscles tensed when Ayla held her, the way her eyes sparkled like the long-gone oceans she had only seen in dreams. Ayla wanted to give her that dream experience as well. Wanted to give her the dreams she hungered for but was too afraid to ask for.

Marle breathed her name. Ayla could resist no longer. She pulled Marle close for a deep kiss, holding her tight, feeling her breath escape her again. But this time, she did not let go. She could not let go. Ayla felt Marle’s back arch in response, kissing harder, holding tighter. Marle melted like ice, another gasp escaping her. She wanted more, she needed more.

Ayla pulled her closer, stroking a hand through her hair, like Marle would for her. She lifted her up with ease, and again, she felt that gasp in her chest, the blood in her veins turn to a chill pleasing ice. Ayla shivered. Marle shivered as well, but maybe not from the cold. Ayla’s lips searched for Marle’s heart, the cool skin overpowering her with lust.

“Wait,” Marle whispered, her voice strained. “Wait, Ayla,” she repeated through cold breaths.

It was hard, so hard to stop. She wanted more. She felt Marle’s desire. There was a loud clang as metal hit tile. Marle had dropped the tin, her hand appearing weak. But the noise shook them both, brought them back to the dark crumbling building.

“I… um… I’m sorry,” Marle whispered, her voice oozing with a shame and fear that froze Ayla’s heart. “I’m… I’m okay. You, um, don’t need to keep kissing.”

Ayla’s muscles tensed. Had she misunderstood? Could she not even understand this? Did she go too far? She had thought…

“Ayla sorry,” she breathed, ashamed of herself as she placed Marle back on her feet. “Ayla stupid.”

“No, that’s…” Marle looked away again, quickly retrieving the can. “I did…” She shook her head, unable to return Ayla’s gaze. “I think maybe we should head back.”

What had Ayla done? This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to tell Marle everything, tell her how sorry she was, how she loved her. But her jaw was clamped shut. Her throat sealed. She was so stupid! Why couldn’t she say the right thing?

“Ayla sorry,” she repeated pathetically.

* * *

Lucca hadn’t heard their return. “Yeah, I know,” she mumbled to herself. “I know,” she said again, this time angrier. “Think I don’t?” She sat before the lifeless machine, coated in sweat, strange tools strewn haphazardly around her. She guzzled down her water bottle’s contents thirstily. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” she whispered into her helmet.

Ayla stood far away from Marle. Neither seemed to be able to speak up to tell Lucca they were here. Ayla stared at the floor, where she belonged.

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Lucca continued. She turned to look at her tools before saying, “Say, think you could hand me th-Oh god!” Her glasses nearly fell off her face, her body went pale. She stared at the two in horror and confusion. “You guys are already back?? How… did you hear anything?”

Marle shook her head slowly, as if it were a difficult action. “No, nothing,” she lied. Lucca wouldn’t believe her, but it didn’t matter. “We just finished early that’s all. I felt tired.” Even now, Marle only blamed herself.

Ayla felt a piercing glare her way, felt the heat of accusation. “Did something happen?” Lucca asked, holding back an obvious anger.

Again, Marle shook her head. “No. Like I said. I was just tired.”

Lucca didn’t believe that. The burning gaze lingered on Ayla for a moment longer before returning to normal. “Hm. Well, you guys get anything?” Silently, Ayla presented their meager findings for Lucca’s inspection. “Tomato soup, huh? Wonder if that’ll still be good.” She adjusted her glasses, finding it acceptable. “Hope so.”

It wasn’t quite normal for Lucca to be the most talkative one. She was more than aware of this. She probably expected Ayla to be jumping and shouting about something or other like the dumb cavewoman she was. Ayla did not want to embarrass herself further by attempting to speak.

“I’ve still got work to do.” Lucca sighed. She was not one to mend relationships. She mended machines. “I’ll have dinner ready in a couple hours or so if you two want to wait up at our room?” There was a small noise that escaped her mouth. As if she wanted to say something, to brag. But she must have lost that feeling. “I made us a retractable ladder in my spare time too. It’ll make it easier to climb up and down now.”

“Thank you,” Marle said halfheartedly. “That will be really helpful. I think I’ll go rest.” Like a ghost, she floated by Ayla, keeping her eyes to the floor as well. Lucca watched her go with a frown, her silent steps quickly disappearing into nothingness.

“You’re not going with her, Ayla?” Lucca asked, adjusting her glasses. There was a scratch on the lenses. It was bothering her.

Ayla shook her head, said nothing more.

For a moment, Lucca appeared to be judging if this were a good or bad thing. Finally, she shrugged and said, “That’s fine. Guess I could use the company.”

Ayla followed her back to the broken Enertron, sitting quietly against the wall. Lucca quickly returned to her routine, metal clinking and clattering away. It was almost peaceful. Ayla was too stupid to understand what Lucca was doing.

The silence went on for a time. Lucca would occasionally grunt or mutter something angrily, maybe smack the machine in frustration, but tended to keep to herself, almost forgetting Ayla entirely. This did not bother Ayla. She preferred that. She wanted to be forgotten.

Lucca’s head was fully inside the machine, her voice coming out like a dull echo. “Did you do something stupid, Ayla?” she asked suddenly. Ayla nearly jumped out of her furs when the burning gaze was back on her.

Ayla could only nod in shame, cringing at that glare.

To her surprise, Lucca’s gaze softened ever so slightly. “Probably wouldn’t be fair for me to judge you too much.” She returned to her work, metal clinking in the machine. “I’ve done plenty of stupid things too.”

Silence was the response.

“You know,” Lucca went on, “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I liked it better when you were yelling all the time.”

Ayla’s jaw remained glued shut, bolted down like one of Lucca’s inventions. She couldn’t speak if she wanted to. She felt an even greater weight on her chest as she realized the sadness it inflicted on Lucca. But she couldn’t. It wouldn’t come out anymore.

Groaning, Lucca emerged back out, a dark bloody stain on her shirt. “Damn oil leaks. God damn it. I have no idea what I’m doing.” She looked back at Ayla, the flames in her eyes fizzled out. She wanted to say something. It was as if someone was coaxing her inside that helmet of hers. Like Ayla, it seemed the words couldn’t come out. Or at least come out right. “You know, I … just… I think…” She sighed. She couldn’t understand Ayla. “Hope you guys feel better.”

It was a meager attempt, but an attempt nonetheless. Lucca was closer to Ayla than she realized, understood her more than she realized, but Ayla kept quiet. She didn’t think she deserved to feel better.

“Can you do me one favor, Ayla?” Lucca asked, not waiting for a response. “Just… don’t run off again. No matter what happened.” She paused and stared hard. “Okay?”

Ayla realized she would only cause more trouble if she did that. She would only put them in more danger. She nodded.

* * *

The wind’s black howls seemed to grow louder over the next few days. Ayla hadn’t said a single word. There were times she wished she had, times she should have. Marle had stayed quiet too because of it. Maybe she wasn’t as sad or as ashamed, but it’s not like Lucca was exactly the most talkative person either. Ayla did not want to pretend she knew what they were thinking anymore. What did she know?

Lucca installed a ‘sentry’ system at the front door of their building after Ayla and Marle came home in silence. It was just a bit of string through some of their old used cans that would jingle if anything walked through. It wasn’t as if robots or mutants had enough sense to avoid it after all.

Lucca’s mood seemed to only sour as well. Her glasses were not cooperating, the Enertron machine was not cooperating, and it was just so quiet! Ayla spent most of her days watching in silence, the clinking of metal and the sparking of electricity becoming almost a strange lullaby to her.

“You know, you could probably help me some time, damn it!” Lucca shouted one time, kissing her burnt finger. The machine had malfunctioned and given her a nasty shock. She had no one else to blame, nowhere else to point her frustrations.

Ayla only stared in silence, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to.

“Ugh, what was I thinking?!” Lucca had groaned, holding her burnt finger. “Of course, you wouldn’t be able to help!”

Ayla did not leave, did not respond. She knew she deserved the insults, it was only fair. Lucca was trying her best.

In fact, Ayla felt more at ease with Lucca’s insults than Marle’s sad silence during their trips out into the domed city. She stayed farther away, or maybe Ayla was too afraid to approach any closer. Marle no longer gave her water directly, instead refilling her bottle when it was empty. Maybe Marle would have given water the old way if Ayla had asked, but she couldn’t.

Even the monsters felt stronger now. It was harder to fight. They couldn’t communicate anymore. Not that they ever truly did. Small bruises and cuts accumulated on Ayla’s and Marle’s body, minor damage really. Nothing worth putting the effort into healing.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. The day after their incident, Marle had walked along in silence with Ayla, her eyes fixated anywhere else. “Sorry, Ayla. About before. I didn’t… I don’t…”

_Why would you be sorry? I was the one who went too far, I was the one who overstepped my place! I was the one who assumed too much when I shouldn’t have! I was the one that ruined this._

But those words wouldn’t come. She felt it, but she could not hear it, could not say it. It was a mess of colors and visuals that she couldn’t interpret. She only felt worse. She wanted to apologize again, but she had apologized, enough hadn’t she? At this point her tribe would have exiled her for sure, but Marle and Lucca needed her for protection. That was all she could be. Protection. Weak and flimsy and stupid, but protection. That was all she could do.

Black winds howled louder and louder.


	6. Inferno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be some sexual content from now on.

After another silent run, Ayla and Marle returned to what they had to now consider was their home. The cans jingled slightly more than usual from the wind, alerting Lucca to their presence. There was something in the air. Electricity. But it was not a welcome visitor to Ayla.

“Back again, huh?” Lucca said with a groan, as if she had hoped they wouldn’t return. Marle simply nodded, but her gaze fell on something glowing. “Yeah. Looks like I got this damn thing working.”

Something exploded in Marle. Her eyes beamed, her smile was unrestrained. Lucca was unmoved. In fact, she seemed even angrier at the response, but Marle was too busy fawning over the hum of the Enertron. “Lucca! You did it! I knew you could do it! This is great!”

“It’s not, really.”

“No, no! It’s amazing!” Marle continued. “Don’t you know what this means? If you could repair this?”

“Don’t get too excited.”

Ayla frowned. She felt that electricity. It was stronger, hotter. It _hurt._ But somehow, someway, Marle couldn’t feel it, couldn’t see it. She wanted to warn Marle, but how?

“No, this is perfect! We have all the reason in the world to get excited!” Marle cheered. “We’ll always have a place to heal ourselves now! You know how to fix this world’s machines!”

Lucca’s scratched lenses glared against the low light of the Enertron. “It’s not that simple, Marle. I barely know how I did it. It was mostly guesswork and pure luck after days-no, weeks of failure.”

Marle shook her head. “You put yourself down too much, Lucca! If you can figure this out, you could figure out anything! You could get the domes back in order maybe! You could build anything with this technology!”

Ayla winced. She felt a pressure being applied to Lucca, a strong screaming pressure. It was too heavy, too much. Lucca resisted. “I really don’t think I can do that.”

“Nonsense!” Marle refused, almost desperate to hold onto this feeling. “Think of it! Maybe like Belthasar you could even build a time machine too! Maybe you could get us all out of here! Maybe you could get a doppel doll and and… and we could… we could revive Crono!”

Something snapped. Ayla flinched.

“Marle!” Lucca shouted, freezing the girl in her tracks. It echoed and blasted through the building, a hateful thing. “I can’t do any of that, all right!? We’re not getting Crono back! He’s dead! They’re all dead! Frog, Crono, R…” Her voice trailed off, but still she clenched her fists.

Sweat formed on the back of Ayla’s neck, she felt it forming all over. It was too hot in the room, much too hot.

“But…” Marle still persisted. Still clung to her dream. “We can’t just give up. What if we could save him?” She was close to tears, but she was angry too. She wouldn’t stand down to Lucca, not about this. “How could you be so heartless?”

The air itself almost burned her bare skin. Lucca was angry now, furious. There was no more hiding it. “Me? I’m heartless?” Lucca grit her teeth. “Yeah, you know what? I probably am. But I actually _knew_ Crono, Marle. I grew up with him! And yet you tell _me_ I need to revive him? You barely even knew Crono!”

Again, her acid stung and burn into Marle. It hurt her greatly. She looked away in shame. “I… I knew Crono. I…”

“Yeah?” Lucca countered, like a wildfire, she could not stop. “What’s his favorite food, huh? Guy was always a stupid pig, that should be easy to know.”

Marle flinched. She couldn’t respond. Ayla held her breath. She wanted to jump in, she wanted to stop. But her muscles were frozen in place, her jaw still stuck.

“Bet you don’t know his favorite season! Bet you don’t know what really _pisses_ him off! Trust me, I know! He was actually _my_ friend, not yours!” Still, there was no response from Marle. That only made Lucca angrier. “Let me guess, you thought you loved him, didn’t you? Please, everyone knew it, you’re not subtle.”

“But…” The words just came out as a gasp, a sniffle, as she desperately tried to hold back her tears.

Lucca still went on. But her eyes were distant. She didn’t see Marle anymore. She saw someone else. Someone she hated, someone she never trusted. “How could anyone actually love someone after only that long, huh? It doesn’t work that way! We’d be stupid to think it was that easy, to think any of that was real.” Her scratched glasses could only see the past, only see a machine.

Strength finally failing her, Marle couldn’t continue any longer. Her brows furrowed, she wanted to get angry, she wanted to stay angry! But it wouldn’t come. Marle had always had a temper, but nothing like Lucca’s. Never like Lucca. In one breath, it all seemed to leave her body. Everything. She cried silently, muttering “I’m sorry,” before leaving towards the elevator shaft, disappearing away into the darkness in shame.

“Good riddance, it’s about time we actually saw what this place was,” Lucca grumbled, sitting down before the Enertron. She would not follow Marle, she only had here. The silence was all she wanted.

Ayla felt that fire, felt that heat burning inside her chest. It melted away the rust at her mouth, melted away the glue in her jaw and throat. She clenched her fists, felt blood yet again. Good. This was what she wanted to feel. She had to protect them. She had to protect them! No matter how stupid she was, she had to!

The building echoed with her roar. “Lucca say sorry Marle!” Ayla demanded, her furs bristling with rage.

As usual, Lucca refused, flat out ignoring Ayla. She sat in silence, tinkering away with her strange metal contraptions. She kept her back turned, but Ayla still could sense the anger in her heart.

But this time Lucca wouldn’t stop Ayla. Ayla knew when a tribemate had to be punished, knew when gentleness would no longer be acceptable. It was something she knew better than anything. She grabbed Lucca’s shoulders and spun her around.

“Lucca smart, but say stupid thing!” Ayla growled, forcing Lucca to look into her eyes. She wouldn’t allow Lucca to hide behind those glasses anymore.

Lucca struggled against her grip slightly at first, but soon found Ayla was not holding back. She had no choice but to face her now, no choice but to spit acid yet again. At least that’s what she must have thought. Why did Lucca only know how to hide and hurt?

“Oh, you think _I_ say stupid things?” Lucca hissed back. “You can’t say a single thing correctly!”

Ayla tightened her grip on Lucca’s shoulders, resisting the urge to scream. If a member of her tribe had ever spoken to her like that! Ever insulted her like that! _I try so hard to talk to you! I try so hard to understand you! But you never try for me!_

“Lucca quiet!” Ayla shouted much too loudly.

And of course, Lucca would not back down. She was just as stubborn as Ayla. Perhaps more so. “Me? I was perfectly content to keep to myself. You’re the one always shouting, you never shut up!”

_Stop it! Stop being so cruel! I’m angry too, I am always so angry! But I won’t take it out on you! I need you! You need me!_

“Lucca! Stop!” Ayla growled through angry breaths. “Ayla make stop!” She threatened.

For a split second, Ayla saw Lucca’s eyes flicker, a feeling of remorse, of terror even. It made Ayla sad. She did not mean to scare her, she never wanted to do that. The fear only angered Lucca further. The pain Ayla caused her then, it was like forcing an animal into a corner. What else was she to do but fight back harder? Ayla knew, she knew and understood, but yet she could not stop either.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Lucca nearly spat the words out. “What are you gonna do, huh? Smash me?”

_Is that how you see me, Lucca? Is that all I am to you!? Fine, then, I will show you what you so desperately want!_

Ayla howled in a rage, pinning down the slender woman to the old torn carpets. This time, Lucca truly struggled, using all her energy to try and break free of her grip. Ayla admitted, she was strong, but she wasn’t strong enough. She pressed her body down against her, holding her arms back against the ground. She kicked and groaned, but Ayla had taken worse pain her life. Much worse. This was nothing, and she intended to show Lucca that.

“Let me go, Ayla!” Lucca screamed, her small body writing underneath uselessly. “Stop pretending like you know me, stop pretending you know what I am! You have no idea!”

“Ayla know,” she said with a low animalistic sneer. “Ayla know Lucca. Lucca does not know Ayla.” Lucca continued to kick and wail, but Ayla would not budge. She pressed harder against her, feeling the hot breath of the other against her face, tasting the acid first hand now.

“What’s there to get about you!?” Lucca cried out. There were tears in her eyes, but angry tears, tears of someone who was not in control. Tears of someone who was never in control. Tears of someone who yearned for it. “You’re just a stupid caveman!”

Ayla’s chest pressed down against Lucca’s harder. She felt their hearts pounding, their hearts both aching the same ache. “Lucca selfish. Think only of Lucca.”

“Amazing!” She spat, breathless from her struggles, face red with rage. “You figured out what I knew years ago!”

“Lucca hurt. Ayla hurt. Kino gone.” Ayla would not cry. Now was not the time to show tears. She would say the name Lucca was too afraid to say. “Robo gone. Ayla understand.”

Something finally broke. Lucca went still for just a moment. Something hot boiled inside her, something rotten, something terrible. It was a feeling Ayla knew all too well.

“Don’t you _ever_ say his name!” Lucca screamed, flames erupting from her body.

Ayla found herself thrown back by the sheer heat, she felt the flames singe her skin, felt acid burn her fur, she felt the fire consume her. Pain, so much pain. Like an erupting volcano, she felt the lava melt her skin, she felt the bitter loneliness of this world, the empty nothingness that screamed in its silence.

She longed for that pain.

Ayla laid back against the floor, dazed. It hurt, but it was a pain she understood. A pain she shared with Ayla. A hurt that told her ‘ _You’re not alone_.’

There was that same silence again from before, that same electricity and fear, but it was different. Somehow. She heard Lucca’s gasps, the way her chest struggled for air.

“Ayla! Ayla!” Lucca cried, quickly scrambling over to her. “No, no, what have I done? Ayla, I’m so sorry!”

Ayla opened her eyes to a teary-eyed Lucca above her. The acid was gone. She felt black and soot upon her naked body, but nothing else. There were no burns, no marks. She could not be cruel to Lucca back. She needed more, needed that seductive pain.

In a flash, she pressed her lips against Lucca’s, pulling the woman down to her. It was a deep kiss, passionate. She could not speak, but she hoped to talk through this. Electricity jolted through her spine, down through her thighs and to her legs.

Her breath was quick and heavy when their lips departed, leaving only a confused Lucca. _What will it take to make you understand?_

“Ayla,” Lucca repeated dumbly, her breath hot. A delicious treat. “I… I’m not hurt,” she mumbled, not even making sense to herself.

“Ayla know,” she replied. “Ayla selfish too sometimes.” She pulled Lucca closer on top of her naked body, hearing the breathlessness between them.

“But, I…” She was dumbstruck, her short hair now close enough to tickle Ayla’s cheeks. “Didn’t I hurt you?”

Ayla shook her head. “No. Only furs. Ayla knew Lucca not hurt.”

The poor girl. She was so confused, still so hurt, still so alone. Maybe Ayla had gotten through to her? Maybe at least a little. Lucca finally pressed back against her, lips against lips. A warmth burned inside Ayla as they kissed, a fire that still hurt, but hurt together. She held her close against her chest, eager to accept that warmth and that pain into her.

It was the first time they had finally connected. It was still a struggle, but Lucca was trying now at least. She stared into Ayla’s eyes, afraid. She too wanted to read Ayla, like Ayla read her. It wasn’t her fault. Ayla couldn’t communicate as well. She did what she could, tenderly stroking Lucca’s back.

For the first time, they felt their connection smolder and burn bright.

Lucca sat up, chest heaving, lips glistening. _Should I?..._

_Do whatever feels right to you, Lucca. I am here for you._

Slowly, she undressed. Ayla noted the way her body almost shone in the dark against the flame, like a star burning bright, far far away from here. As to be expected, she was pale, almost sickly even, but that did not take away from her strength. She felt their breasts press together, noting how hot her skin was, despite the cold air. They each let out a gasp.

 _I don’t know what I’m doing_ , her eyes said, sad and full of shame.

_Give me your fire, give me your pain. Give me everything. I can handle it._

Lucca clasped her hands around Ayla’s wrists awkwardly. She half-heartedly pinned them to the ground, her body still radiating a light warmth.

_You’re stronger than me, this is pointless._

_You’re not even trying._

Lucca grit her teeth and tightened her grip. Ayla felt the flames, felt the burning in her veins. It intoxicated her. Lucca made sure never truly scorch her, never truly burn her. She pressed her lips against Ayla’s, and felt rough teeth at first, followed by that hot breath and gentle fire.

_I miss them. I miss everyone. I miss everything. I hate it here._

Their voices were one. Neither could tell the other apart. Ayla felt a warmth between her thighs, she felt the red hot of Lucca’s touch inside her. Ayla let out a quiet moan, went to move her hands to return the favor. Lucca shook her head, held both Ayla’s arms back with one arm, the fire burning hotter, threatening to bite into her flesh.

_I have been so selfish. Let me do this for you._

Ayla relaxed her body, allowed it to happen, allowed the warmth to spread through her body. She felt the heat between her legs growing, felt the sweat between them meshing together. Their breaths hungrily feeding into each other as Lucca grew hotter and hotter, her flames licking and devouring every part of Ayla. Like a campfire, their shadows danced together against the old walls.

It wasn’t long before it was too much. Before she burned more than she could handle. She cried out in pleasure, demanding to be held closer, demanding to keep that fire. They burned together, they fizzled together. When it was done, they simply laid in each other’s arms, exhausted and sweating. Although they were still close, although they still breathed as one, their connection couldn’t last forever. That was okay. Maybe they could come back to this again some time. With some help.

“How are we going to explain this to Marle?” Lucca asked, her breath and voice weak. “What do I say to her?”

“No worry,” Ayla shook her head, running her fingers through Lucca’s hair. “Marle understand. Ayla know.”

“Huh,” Lucca breathed, flames burning bright again. “How do you know that, hm?”

“Ayla not stupid,” she said with a grin.

“You’re really not,” Lucca whispered, a tinge of guilt in her voice. “I think you’re probably smarter than me.”

“Maybe,” Ayla laughed lowly, knowing it wasn’t the truth.

There was one thing Ayla didn’t understand. One action that she couldn’t figure out. Ayla knew it had meaning, she felt it inside, she felt the fire of her heart. But Ayla also knew it wasn’t something she was meant to understand. It was something special from Lucca. Only for her.

With a small sigh, she pressed her forehead against Ayla’s. There was a sad smile on her face. Ayla could not understand the importance, she never would, but she did the best she could. With a smile, she pressed her forehead lightly back against Lucca’s, gently running a hand through her hair. Much the same way Marle did. Their hair meshed together, purple and gold, soft against soft, thickheaded skull against thickheaded skull.

There were tears behind her glasses. Not a lot. But enough for Ayla to notice. Lucca smiled a rare genuine smile. _Thank you._

* * *

She breathed deep. Felt the chill in her chest. Marle tried to remember him, sculpt him from ice in her dreams, have something to remember him by. She didn’t even have a picture. Already, she was forgetting his facial features, forgetting the details, forgetting Crono. When she opened her eyes, she held a small ice figure with great spiky hair and a little sword, already melting away. It just wouldn’t come out right. No matter how hard she tried.

Marle sighed a heavy breath of defeat. She was so sick of crying, so sick of tears and sadness. Yet she pushed them away, the people who might help her cry a little less, or at least the people who would cry with her.

_How can you be so heartless?!_

It ran through her head over and over. She wished she could turn back time, ironically, and never say that. Lucca didn’t deserve to hear that. Lucca was struggling with her own thoughts enough. And Ayla too. In the end, Marle was nothing more than a spoiled princess. She tried so hard to be different from that, but she could not escape it.

“Marle? Hey, are you in here?” Lucca asked from the ruined hallway tentatively.

“U-uh! Yes! Just-just one second!” She squeaked, quickly melting away her Crono figure. Her heart pounded. Lucca must have still been angry. She had every right to be.

“I know it’s weird to ask, but can I come in?”

“Huh? Of course, it’s your room too.”

Lucca entered cautiously, as if there could be traps lying in wait for some reason. Her clothes looked disheveled, her hair more a mess than usual. Had she gotten into a fight? But there were no bruises to be seen. In fact, her skin looked so healthy, almost glowing even. Maybe she used the Enertron machine.

“Is it okay if we talk?” Lucca finally asked, adjusting her glasses. “It’s, uh, fine if you don’t want to. I’d understand.”

Marle felt a gentle warmth. “Sure, if you want.”

“Right.” Lucca awkwardly took a seat on the old bed with Marle, her scratched lenses still hiding her eyes. She sat closer than usual. Close enough that Marle could smell the oil, the rust, the metal of everything. There was something else too. She smelt faintly like Ayla? It was comforting, though.

Again, silence. If Marle didn’t know any better, she could swear someone was talking to her through that radio in her helmet. But she knew it was impossible.

Still, it went on and on. It was comforting slightly, but it remined her too much of the hurt she caused. Marle decided she would just come out and say it. “I’m sorry, Lucca! I went too far, and-”

“Wait a minute, _you’re_ sorry?!” Lucca’s glasses nearly fell off her face. “Marle, after all the horrible things I said? I’m the one who should be saying sorry!” She paused. “And, I am. Uh. Sorry that is. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what came over me. The things I said were terrible, and I’d understand if you don’t want to forgive m-”

“No! I forgive you!” Marle interrupted as well, determined. “I know I put a lot of pressure on you! I know you lashed out because,” she paused, rubbing her arm sheepishly. “I sometimes don’t really know when to stop.”

Again, Lucca was shocked. “ _You_ don’t know when to stop?” She shook her head almost in disbelief. “Geez, all _three_ of us are so stubborn,” she mumbled. “Either way, I shouldn’t have said what I said. It was wrong, it was cruel.”

“No.” Marle shook her head again, sadly this time. “You were right. I don’t,” she sighed, took another deep breath, “I don’t know Crono.”

Lucca’s glasses finally revealed her eyes again, a frightened look in them. “Marle.” She paused, muttered, “God I’m such an ass,” before continuing. “Nobody really knew Crono.”

“Huh?”

“Even I barely knew him,” Lucca said with a guilty frown. “Sure, I grew up with him, I spent a lot of time with him, but he was always quiet like that, you know?” Her scratched lenses seemed to be a gateway to the past. “He did love getting into fights, causing trouble, and generally being an idiot.” She smiled. “He was a weird guy, but he was a good guy. Honestly, you probably knew him better than me.”

“But,” Marle tried to counter. “What about his favorite food? Favorite season? All that?”

“That?” Lucca pressed her lips together and made a funny sound. “Who cares. He’d eat anything. He didn’t care what the season was as long as he could go out and swing his sword around. He probably liked every season just fine.”

Marle couldn’t help but laugh lightly at that. It seemed very like Crono. Hard to know. Sort of like Ayla. “Thanks, Lucca. That does make me feel better.”

Lucca adjusted her glasses. “I’ve never been good at reading expressions and emotions and all that. I rely on words.” Again, her frames looked into the past. Marle knew who she meant. “I need everything explained to me, told directly or else I’m too dense to get it.” She paused. “Even then, sometimes I still refuse to understand.”

“Well,” Marle couldn’t argue with that one. “You’re learning now, aren’t you?”

For whatever reason, this caused her face to heat up like an embarrassing kitchen fire. “Uh. Yeah. I think I am now.”

“Thanks to Ayla,” Marle teased with a grin. Lucca was practically sweating! This got her thinking. “Where is she anyway?”

“She! Had something! To do!” Lucca said awkwardly, burning even brighter. “I don’t know! I’m not her keeper!”

Clearly there was something going on here, but it made Marle feel better either way. “It’s okay.”

Another awkward silence blew through them, the winds revealing themselves once more. Marle still had a guilty heart, still felt something frozen and hurting inside. “Lucca? Can I ask you something? About Ayla.”

“Huh? Of course, there’s nothing to worry about!” Lucca stuttered, clearly in distress.

She stared at her lap, looking at her hands, noticing all the cuts and scratches she hadn’t bothered to heal. “It’s about the kissing,” Marle said, practically mumbling. “Do you think… that’s okay?”

Lucca blinked. “The kissing? What’s wrong with it?” She huffed. “Other than it’s healing properties not making sense.” Again, she adjusted her glasses, but this time appeared deep in thought, losing her previous embarrassment. “I have a theory that while she may not be able to use magic, she might still have some sort of access to a small amount of it and-”

“That’s not it!” Marle clutched her clothes awkwardly, wanting to feel something in her hands. “I just, I’ve been thinking. Is it wrong?” She felt so stupid. But she needed to get it out.

“Hm?” Lucca’s tone became a bit more serious. “Wrong to kiss another woman? Marle, I don’t know what they teach you up in the castle but that kind of thing doesn’t matter.” She paused. “Humans need affection. No matter what we try to tell ourselves, we need that closeness, need that touch. It’s built into our very core. There’s been experiments done (not ethical ones, mind you) where scientists tried to raise a chimp without any physical contact and-”

“That’s!” Marle shook her head nervously again, feeling even sillier. “That’s not it either! Although. Maybe a little,” she admitted sheepishly. It was a bit confusing for her. She was surprised Lucca seemed to have it all figured out, but Lucca just looked at it through a purely logical way, didn’t she? “Back in Ayla’s age, Kino approached me and told me something.”

“Yeah?” Lucca stared, showing a real interest. It was not often she would look at Marle like this, but she had to admit she liked it.

“Yeah,” Marle nodded. “He, um, he told me that he was my ancestor. That would mean that Ayla is…”

Laughter erupted from Lucca like a volcano, a loud and sudden thing shocking Marle to no end. She practically fell over backwards onto the bed in a fit. Marle felt her cheeks puff out ready to pout, but at the same time, she had not seen Lucca like this for days or even weeks.

“Marle! Oh, Marle!” Lucca had tears in her eyes, she was gasping for air between laughs! “Oh, no. No, there’s so many things wrong with that!”

She tensed. Oh no. She knew it was wrong.

“And I don’t mean that way!” Lucca stifled a laugh, sighing. “Where do I even begin? First, most importantly, no it’s not incest.” Marle flinched. “It’s not! Even if she _was_ your ancestor, it’s 65 _million_ years between you and her.” Lucca paused. “65 _million_ , Marle. There’d be almost nothing left of Ayla in there if she was. In fact, Ayla could be my ancestor for all I know! You and I could be related, even!”

This did not comfort her.

“We’re not,” Lucca added with a frown. “Just to be clear. Anyway, the second thing.” She looked at Marle, made sure to make eye contact. “How could Kino _possibly_ know that?”

“Eh?” Marle squeaked. She found that her hands were now nervously petting her own hair. “I guess I didn’t really think of that?”

“It’s not like they have ancient texts, Marle. They’re literal cavemen. There would be no records, no anything. You know how Kino is. Sort of.” She sighed. “He’s sweet sure, but he did steal from us, he seemed like he wanted to impress everyone he met. He probably lied to make himself feel a little better. I don’t totally blame him, but you know.” She shrugged.

Something cleared up in Marle’s mind, like a muddy rainy lake transformed into a sparkling sunny lake in a flash. Lucca really was brilliant, she really did think of everything. She helped Marle get her mind in order. But, still, there was something else in that lake. Someone else.

“I suppose that’s true, but...” Marle still stroked her hair, looking away. “I worry about, um.” It was so hard to say. She didn’t want to cry anymore. But she knew Lucca could help. “What about Crono? I feel like,” she sighed, ashamed. “I feel like I’m betraying him.”

Lucca didn’t laugh this time. There was a strange silence. She didn’t even breath. Something warm held Marle’s hand, and it shocked her to find out it was Lucca’s. She was never one to initiate contact.

“Marle, I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I think I might understand what you’re feeling.” Lucca would not go into detail. “But we can’t, or we shouldn’t, or,” she had trouble finding the words this time. This was not something cold hard logic could solve. “We shouldn’t make ourselves more miserable because they’re gone. I don’t think that’s what they would have wanted.” Marle noted the use of ‘ _they’_ and ‘ _we_.’

It was hard to think about. She still saw Crono in her mind, but he was blurry. When she thought about his features, she felt like she was drowning.

“It feels cruel,” Marle said sharply.

“I know.” Lucca stayed silent again, appearing to gather her thoughts.

“Maybe this is a bit of a tangent, but,” Lucca continued, her voice a quiet crackling flame. “If you really were related to Kino, that would mean he moved on and found someone else too, you know? Or else you wouldn’t exist.” She adjusted her glasses. “Since Ayla wouldn’t be there.”

“Or maybe,” Marle whispered sadly. “Maybe it means we find a way to go back to our times eventually.” She felt Lucca’s grip tighten around her hand.

“Marle,” was all she said, her voice full of doubt.

Still, even through it all, she wanted to hold onto that hope. No matter how much it hurt. But Lucca was right. Lucca was always right. Whatever happens, no matter what happens, Crono wouldn’t want this. Nobody would want this. She felt Lucca’s heart burning next to hers, and even now, she felt Ayla’s strength and passion.

She held Lucca’s hand tight. She did not want to let go anymore.

* * *

When Ayla returned, her new furs still felt warm, her body still felt reinvigorated. The bolt clamping her jaw shut had finally become loose, and while it was difficult, she would at least try. Her home never truly felt like home, but this was okay. She had always been a wanderer, never staying in many places for long. She climbed the ladder, thinking of Lucca, thinking of Marle. Her chest grew chill at the thought, but she shook it off. She would do her best for Marle regardless of how she felt.

“Ayla back!” Ayla shouted as she strolled in, forcing the others to see her.

To her pleasant surprise, she found Lucca and Marle sitting together, closer than usual. She felt no jealousy, only pride. They seemed to have made up.  As long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.

Lucca stared at Ayla incredulously, confused. “Ayla! How…” She clamped her mouth shut, eyes shooting over to Marle. _How did you get your clothes back?!_

“Ayla smart,” she nodded with a grin. Some secrets were better left unknown. She liked the idea of being a mystery.

“But…” Lucca tried to use logic in an impossible scenario.

“Ayla smart.”

Through it all, Ayla felt a pair of nervous eyes on her body. A quiet cool breeze pressed against her skin, causing a shiver. “Ayla!” Marle started, a slight smile. “I’m glad to see you’re talking again.” She looked over to Lucca, a wordless exchange. Ayla noted their hands tightly clasped together. Lucca nodded silently.

“I’m going to work on something else, okay?” Lucca said. “I’ll be down the hall if you need me. Just want some quiet for now.”

It took some time to let go. Took some effort between both of them. Ayla almost felt guilty separating them, but Lucca appeared to have some plan of her own. When she left, the cold silence returned. The strange quiet from before. Marle’s hands seemed to be at a loss for what to grab onto, where to go, sometimes choosing her hair or her clothes. Ayla kept her distance still, respecting her thoughts, respecting her quiet.

Like a flipped switch, Marle made a huff. She clenched her fists and nodded. She was still unsure, Ayla knew, but she wouldn’t allow that to hold her back anymore. With a firm stance, she made her way over, standing tall. Her walk reminded Ayla of a chief, someone proud and strong, a leader of people in her own way. She was suddenly reminded that Marle was a ‘princess’ they had called her at home.

“Ayla,” she started, determined. “I’m-wah!”

Her foot appeared to stumble over nothing. In fact, Ayla was sure there was nothing! Still, Marle tumbled forward like that day in the store, and still Ayla caught her with ease. She held Marle in her arms again, her back just inches below the ground. If she had fallen forward, why did she seem like she was landing on her back? Marle had thrown her arms around Ayla’s shoulders to catch herself, but she did not tug hard, like someone who had truly fallen.

“Oh, I am still so clumsy!” Marle said awkwardly, a mischievous smile on her face, betraying everything. Her next words were hushed. “I’m glad you’re always there to catch me, Ayla.”

She couldn’t believe it. Ayla’s heart was pounding. She held the girl in her arms, but somehow Ayla felt she was the one being charmed. She could do nothing but blink, however. Marle’s lips stuck out, cool and refreshing. Her cuts and bruises still apparent.

Marle’s arms tightened around Ayla, cool skin brushing through waves of hair. “I’m sorry about before.”

Ayla’s body felt frozen, almost impossible to move, but Marle leaned into her with all her weight, trusting her with everything. Ayla managed to shake her head. “No sorry. Ayla sorry.”

A frown. “You’re right. No more sorrys,” Marle said. “But um.” Her fingers absentmindedly pressed against Ayla’s neck, cool tips gently stroking and moving in place. “I could use some healing. For my cuts.”

Ayla blinked. She felt her chest rising, her entire body becoming lighter. Marle’s too. She looked down at the beautiful woman in her arms, saw the flush of her cheeks, the breathlessness in her body. She truly wanted this? Ayla could feel Marle’s dreams seeping in, washing over them both.

Their lips pressed together, and their bodies rose up into the sky together. Their eyes closed, they dreamt the same dream, a dream Marle had long had, had long yearned for. Ayla may have held Marle up, but Ayla could also feel something holding her up as well, pulling her up toward the night sky, past the dark clouds of this world. Something light and colorful, something she had never seen in her time.

Ayla held her up now above the world, away from all this, away from everything. Up here, she could see the moon, a bright white ball of ice shining down on them with its light. They kept their lips together still, Marle returning now with small sighs of relief as her pain healed away. Ayla had never felt her kiss back, never felt the cold strength of her lips. Up here in the sky, she shivered, feeling the brisk winds.

A lone fluffy cloud hit them up there in the sky, but not like the dark ones of this planet. It was white and sweet, tasting of sugar. As it passed through them, Ayla felt her body suddenly become drenched in ice cold water, the winds still licking up her body.

Marle giggled. “Oops. Oh well. You needed healing anyway.”

Ayla did not complain about the cold. Soon Marle’s hands pressed over her arms and stomach, warming the hurt, sealing the pain. Ayla still held tight, both Marle, and the colorful dreams that lifted them. She remembered the faire of Marle’s time, remembered the round colorful things floating there. It must have been those.

They could not see the ground past the clouds anymore, but they didn’t care. There was nothing good to see down there anyway. Up here were the stars and the moon, up here they were together. Ayla imagined Lucca would probably make a device to float up among the clouds with them if she desired. Marle laughed at the thought, nodding along in agreement, understanding Ayla without even trying.

Lucca’s warmth from before kept them both afloat, kept them both comfortable even here in the cold winds. Ayla knew more than ever how much she loved them, how much she cared for them. If they understood it or not, it didn’t matter. She would help them, protect them, guide them like they guided her.

Ayla’s lips kissed down her chin, against Marle’s neck, and down further to her heart again. Marle arched once more into her, pulling herself closer into Ayla’s embrace.

_Ayla, wait._

_Is it too much?_

_No. I like it. But for now, can we just stay like this? Is this okay?_

_Of course, Marle._

_Just, don’t stop kissing me._

And she obeyed without hesitation. Ayla kept her lips gently against Marle’s, feeling the pressure, the chilling shivers, the light of the moon on her. At times, it was almost too much even for Ayla. Marle would not let go of her lips, kissing harder and harder, demanding that air, hungering for that love. Together they slowly drowned among the clouds. But it was together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all of the chapters I had already had pre-written. I'll try to update more, but it's going to be much longer. Hope you enjoy, figured it'd be good to at least end on some happy stuff in case I take too long or can't find a way to update this more. (I have already most of the next chapter written but you never know how things go.)
> 
> Edit: As of now, it's on hiatus and I don't know if I'll be coming back to write more of this anytime soon. Thank you for reading, and sorry that the ending isn't too satisfying.


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